It’s Only Heavy When We Hold It Too Long
Being allowed into someone’s home is an honor, and it is one that I do not take lightly. During our first session, I tour the space while making notes of what my client is telling me.
And what the home is telling me.
Our homes are a mirror reflection of what we are going through internally. They are the outer representation of our inner personal narrative.
The story, or narrative, sometimes is interwoven with others. Like the story of heritage.
When a home is speaking to me loudly in the heritage department, then I know there are many narratives playing out and we must begin to author a new story.
Heritage and legacy are our greatest assets, and by that I mean, they are the things that mean the absolute most to us. However, when everything is important, then nothing is important, even as it pertains to memory items. Everything you have ever gotten from a loved one cannot hold the same weight. Some things will naturally mean more than others.
Usually handwritten notes or recipes and photos are the items with the highest memory value.
Yet we tend to “hoard” (dare I use the word) because of fear.
Fear of losing the heritage.
Fear of the story of our ancestors getting lost in the great busy-ness of this world.
Fear of letting down a mom or aunt and grandmother who preached over and over how expensive and worthy an item was.
Fear of being a poor steward of someone else’s stuff.
So what do we do?
We hold on to it all. Naturally.
In the attic. In the garage. All in boxes. None of it organized.
We hold on to memories (physical and mental) in order to craft our heritage storylines. But there is a point of too much. The tipping point of too much responsibility. Or too much stuff/not enough space. Or too much sadness.
Yet it only becomes heavy when we hold it too long.
We are not designed to carry legacy and heritage until it breaks us. Until our homes are bursting at the seams with relics from family who are no longer Earth side.
“This belonged to my grandmother/aunt/sister/fill-in-the-blank”
Time and time again, I’ve seen clients hold on to something because it was passed down, or because it belonged to a relative.
A lot of what weighs you down isn’t yours to carry. Every life is meant it be lived to the fullest, yet the responsibility to keep that memory alive in physical items is an unrealistic ideal.
Should haves. Could haves. Ought to be.
When you experience the freedom of lightening up (and letting go), then you change. You make a shift. Your soul lights up.
We all carry around weights. They come in different sizes and shapes. Some we've carried for years. Others we've just recently picked up.
When we begin to feel weighed down, then we know we are carrying something for longer than we should.
"It's easy to be heavy, hard to be light."
-G.K. Chesterton
What are you trying to preserve by holding on to the heritage?
Can you craft the most epic story while still letting go in the process?
I believe that you can and I support you in release yourself from the burden of your possessions.
If you want to learn how to do this together, then let’s talk.
The Burnham Family at Christmastime. In all the glory.
This is heritage.
