Picture your room for a moment. Imagine all the things inside it.
We fill our life with stuff- stuff in boxes, stuff in drawers, even stuff stuffed into stuff.
The other day it hit me, in just three weeks, all of this 'stuff' needs to disappear. My little single on the fourth floor must return to the barren and empty space it was when I found it, only to be waiting for the next occupant to adorn the lonely walls, and fill the dresser with their own stuff.
What even is 'stuff', and why do I need it so much?
Everything I placed in my dorm room holds meaning to me: it was all an intentional act. From the turquoise coffee keruig that shows off my favorite color, but also my hatred for mornings (and therefore my need for coffee), to the flowers I had kept on my windowsill even though they died two months ago, the meaning behind them and the special person that gave them to me, overpowers the dried up petals.
Despite everyone telling me that it's time for them to go, I can't part. Everything has a meaning and serves a purpose.
I recently woke up one morning, after snoozing three alarms, to an empty feeling. However, surprisingly it wasn't an emptiness of my stomach telling me to go eat breakfast, it was an emptiness on my finger. As weird as this may sound, I looked down at my right hand, and to my horror it was true. My middle finger which had molded to a ring I had just received from my boyfriend about a week ago, was gone.
My first thought was, “shoot he's going to kill me! I haven't even had this for a week!". This worked better than my alarm clock as I jumped out of bed, searching through my sheets and all over the floor. Every dusty nook and cranny of my room was explored that morning, for I couldn't bear to face the day without the ring. Not only was it a gift, it was the sentiment behind the gesture that led me on a mad hunt to find it.
A month ago I didn't know the difference. However, that morning when I lost the ring, I had forgotten what life was like without it. This probably sounds really silly, that I freaked out over a stupid ring, but finding that gold, swirly piece of metal gave me such a feeling of relief, not to mention happiness.
This 'stuff' that in theory seems so pointless, is so much more in reality. I am so thankful for a roof over my head, food to eat, and people that love me, and all these extra things that are just rainbow sprinkles on my sundae.
We become attached to stuff, the possessions that fill our lives, and we don't realize how lucky we are until we lose them, or they disappear for good.
Since nearly loosing something that meant so much to me, I've started to be more attentive about taking care of my things. Be thankful for all that you have, whether it be big or small, and don't ever take anything for granted, because we are all so blessed.
