Mom isn't a chair

I grew up, like many others, associating "things" with people.

That isn't just a chair, it is "Mom's" chair.  That isn't just a pan, it is part of the set of pans "He" gave me. That coat was one I bought when my friend and I were so young and close.  Those airplane models are a symbol of belonging because I used to be part of a RC airplane club.  I might need these clothes for the kids some day.

And there begins a whole new way of needing things.  They might be the one "thing" that makes me be needed and useful.  I might be able to give them away to someone else in a time of need.

In fact, things tend to keep people away from each other, not bring them together.  They require time to maintain, clutter up minds and homes and relationships that might thrive in more open spaces.

We all know the jokes about old ladies who collect cats, but most of us don't associate our personal "collections" with that sort of thing.

It's okay to have mementos.  They just shouldn't have us.