On stuff we leave behind...

I went to a sale of second hand books, DVDs and CDs a few weeks ago and came away thinking about my own mortality.

As I went through the many books, some read, some unread and the equally impressive collection of music CDs, some of popular classics, others for meditation and designed to provide relaxation, I could not help wondering about the person who has passed on and left all these behind. I understand he was a librarian before and I could see that we have some interests in common e.g. in wellness, spirituality, exercise, language learning and in travel. But the more I browsed through his things, the more questions I had about this person and his life.   Were these books and DVDs evidence of his seeking for peace of mind and for an understanding of what he was about to encounter?  Were the CDs of relaxation music used to help him sleep at night? Was he looking for peace of mind through yoga and meditation? Did he find any of this in his last days?

I felt some sadness for him and for what he left behind. Clearly, these were his precious things; he found solace and comfort in the books, in his fengshui figurines and in his collection of animals and comic characters. Now they lie desolate, without much worth and only regarded as junk obstructing the smooth handover of the house to the next owner.

As I stood outside the house looking at the intimate detritus of a life, I wondered about my own junk.  What will people make of my stuff when I am gone? Will they analyse my book titles and make judgements about my character or speak of my eccentricities? Is it worth my while leaving behind things I love for my loved ones who may not love these same things, regardless of their value? Is it not better to give the living less work by discarding them when I can and still have the time to do so? But who knows how long we will live, and can we live without the bits and pieces that define our lives and give us comfort?

Perhaps we should consider going the same way we came- empty handed. In the end, all our material goods will come to nought anyway; we can’t take them with us.

Such food for thought for me and for all of us growing old.