Some have expressed concern over the fact that I'm 'getting rid of all my stuff.' Trust me, it's nothing to worry about. It's become necessary for me to eliminate the clutter from my life, to strip things back to the basics. Moving into a bigger house has had a contradictory effect on me; instead of buying more stuff to fill the new(ish) space, I've been striving to simplify. Most of my stuff was packed away at the old house, but still it had an effect on me (and not just because it was the only occupant our 'guest room' ever saw). Maybe my health crisis a few years ago changed me more than I thought, or maybe this is just part of growing up. Regardless, I welcome the change. I used to hold onto everything thinking I'd use it someday. I'm paying for it now by having to open every single box and look through it all one item at a time. It's been packed away and out of sight all these years and I haven't missed a bit of it, which means I probably won't miss it when it's gone either. Sure, I've experienced a wide range of emotions as I've read old birthday cards, flipped through college notebooks, thumbed through magazine clippings, cuddled with several of my old stuffed animals, etc. But none of it holds the same meaning to me anymore. The most that would happen if I kept it is that it would all go back into the boxes it came from and go right back into storage, and I'd continue to feel bogged down by unseen clutter for years to come. I'm at the point now where I can actually part with it without feeling regret; why not take advantage of it?