I’ve got some skeletons in my closet and no one knows it.

Okay, that’s actually Eminem, but as I spent the weekend cleaning out my closet, so many thoughts and memories came to light.

First, the memories

My goodness. Some of this stuff I haven’t seen in the 10 years we’ve lived in this house. I found pictures I didn’t remember taking. I found old newspaper clippings from different events in my life. I even found old marketing brochures for different company projects I led.

Some of these findings put a smile on my face or even caused me to laugh out loud. Others made me reflect and even shed a few tears. But, a lot of the findings were just remembers of how many things we just accumulate along the way and made me wonder why I’d held it to it for so long. By no means am I a hoarder, but geeze.

Second, the thoughts

Have you ever stopped to think about how much stuff you own? What’s the value of that “stuff?” More, what’s the weight it all?

Getting down to just one suitcase and knowing that’s all I would have for the next year seemed daunting at first. How would I pick which shirts to bring along or which shoe and belt combos I needed? Hey, I love my accessories.

But, as I put hands on each article of clothing, I realized that having less choice would actually be incredibly freeing. I’m down to eight polo shirts, eight t-shirts, and three long sleeve shirts/sweatshirts in case it gets chilly. In all honesty, that’s more than enough.

As I packed everything away, Kathy and I had a conversation about how much we really needed. If we’re storing this stuff away for a year, will we actually need or even want it when we come back? It’s kind of a slippery slope conversation. If we don’t need it, why do we have it? And, if we get rid of it, we won’t need as much space, so why do we live in such a big house?

I guess that’s a all a part of the reason behind this trip. Learning to appreciate less so we can have more.