So I had this car, a cute little car...we spent about 10 wonderful years together. It was my very first car. I bought it right when I graduated from college and got my first job. I had an 1.5 hour commute at that point and I needed something to get me to and from. I had a long list of demands for my first car. It needed to be cool, fuel efficient, comfortable and able to fit in whatever I wanted....a dresser left on the side of the road, baggage for a big trip, you name it. I expected this cute little car to also act as a truck. Oh, I forgot to mention the price...it had to be affordable. Thankfully, I was able to find one! It was perfect. It was a 6 speed manual. I did not drive manual. But, I had always thought it'd be good to learn....so I bought the car without knowing how to drive it. I'm sure the sales guy was laughing as I was trying to drive it off the lot. I'm pretty determined once I put my mind to something. That works out to my benefit in cases like these. It took some practicing but I learned to drive it and I loved it!
This car took us on our honeymoon and a few other vacations. It brought my first baby home from the hospital. It got us through some crazy snow storms. Eventually, life's circumstances changed and we found we weren't using the car, by this time the car was about 12 years old. We had always had two cars, and since we had slowed our lifestyle we did not need two vehicles anymore. The other one was newer, more reliable, and got us where we needed to be. So the old car sat there.....unfortunately when cars sit, they break down. I let the car sit undriven for about a year. Sad I know, I wanted to have it, just in case...well, when that "just in case time" came and our other vehicle needed to go into the shop for a few days, the old car was not reliable, the battery was dead, the tire was flat, the breaks needed to be tuned up and who knows what else. We ended up renting a car anyways. That's when I knew I was being really silly keeping that car in the driveway. It had to go. If it wasn't even going to be useful when we needed it why on earth were we keeping it? It still took a few months from that point to finally get around to making the call to have it picked up and towed away.
Whenever I looked out the window it was a constant reminder, oh yeah....that car must go. It was always on my list. The day I finally saw it off it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. It was sad, because of all the memories I spoke about above. At the same time it made me feel so much better not having it sitting there looking sad.
We need to remember that stuff is just stuff. Things are to be used. When their time is done and they are no longer useful, we need to let go. If we are always holding on to the things of the past, there won't be any room for the new things of the future. It's great to remember and appreciate the past, but don't let it disrupt your present or your future.
Do you have anything you are holding on to that you should maybe be saying goodbye too?
I think I have some more to pass along. There's some cute teddy bears who are spending a lot of time packed away in a box that could use a new home....