You Can't Take it With You...

I have been to Goodwills more than once, but tonight was the first time I have ever set foot in a Goodwill Outlet. Bins stretched across the length of the building, filled with stuff that people had cast off, articles that even Goodwill didn't want. And people loaded their carts with it, and took it home. Where it will be put to use, but in most cases, will probably sit around until someone purges it from the house.

I had a grand time with my husband, friends, and family, as we set forth with a list of items in hand. We embarked on a scavenger hunt, marking off our checklist as we rummaged through the plastic basins. When our time was up, it was interesting to see what people found, and in what shape the words we were searching for took shape in the items we had scavenged.

As we prepared to leave, I scanned the empty warehouse. So much stuff. And what doesn't sell will wind up in a dumpster, eventually filling some forsaken trash heap out in the middle of nowhere in particular. Stuff is not really made to last. And in the end, you can't take it with you. All that people strive to accumulate, wealthy or poor, it all comes down to the same thing in the end. We came into this world with nothing, and that is exactly how we leave it. No stuff.

I suppose it was just a vivid picture for me, as I surveyed all of the cast of mounds of things. Value the people and relationships in your life, and leave a legacy behind. That is so much more lasting. It is worth the time and effort.