The Things We Take

If you where going away for one year, and could fill one suitcase with personal items to take with you, what would you take? Some may say that this answer is the same as if your house caught on fire, but I think not. If your house caught on fire, you would be in a time crunch, so the things that you might grab on the way out the door, could be different than what you take with you on a journey, after careful consideration.

For me, I had to evaluate every single item I owned as to whether to keep it, sell, it, throw it away, or give it away. Some things were easy, a relief, and should have been done long ago. Others, I labored over, not really knowing what the right decision would be.

For me, the things I wanted to bring are all items that bring me comfort. That might not sound that odd, but if you think about what those things are for you, in your home, you might be surprised. The first thing I wanted to bring that fell into that category were my cats. That not being a possibility, I looked for other things. Here is what I ended up with:

1. 2 framed photographs of my sons


2. My computer


3. My IPOD and Bose docking station


4. My paintbrushes


5. My journals


6. My courage angel that was given to me by a friend on leaving


7. A ceramic bird that my niece made


8. A dozen printed photos of friends and family


9. A calendar of Italy that the AR guys gave me


10. A red blanket


11. 2 feather pillows with my favorite pillow cases


12. My sketchbook and colored pencils


13. A dozen books-fiction, on writing, on creativity, and tour books on Italy

Now that I am here and have time to assess what I brought, they seem like all the right things! As I look at the list, there is nothing I would have left behind, and nothing that I missed along the way. I am sure that the things that I chose say more about me than can be written here, and besides, I haven’t figured that part out yet. What would you take?