It’s just stuff


July 13, 2022

It’s just stuff

It’s just stuff

Our fourth son is starting the next chapter of his life this week. Graduated from high school and moving to a new state to start living his life as an independent. Of course he is still connected to us, but, just like all of us did, you make that leap at some point in your life because that is how it is meant to be. He is four out of five - so you would think I would be really good at helping our kids turn the page. Well, actually they are good at it, I am the one struggling.

Today he packed up his room and put 18 years of accumulation in a bin to take and donate. I made a feeble attempt to get him to keep some of the things, “Oh cool, there is the leather wallet you made when you were 12.” He just kept packing everything. He understands something well - that it is just stuff - the good part of those physical objects - the memories - are locked inside himself. Long after he leaves our home, that is all he will ultimately take from us - the memories, the events, the activities, the relationships, the care and concern.

Funny to me that as true as that concept is - that it is always about the relationships and how we treat each other - in the work setting there are times we quickly forget that. The focus is on the strategy, the software, the small “p” politics, the meeting, the attention, the promotion. Don’t get me wrong, work can’t be just a big potluck. We have to get things done in order to stay in business, but long after we clean out our work desk, the main things we will remember are how people treated us, how we treated others, and were we part of something that was meaningful.

Although the above makes sense to me - I did sneak the leather wallet out of the bin just in case he wants that in 20 years!

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