Loyal blog readers, forgive my long absence from writing. I have been writing, just not on my Journey Thoughts blog. I have been journaling, writing short articles, and I’m getting ready to submit a few more stories to some anthologies in hopes to be published again in one (or more) of them.

As you know, we had my youngest daughter and family living with us since March of 2025. Having two toddlers in the house did not lend itself well to uninterrupted writing! I cherished each day with my grandbabies, and though life was hectic and noisy, at times chaotic, I still felt a sense of peace and purpose in each day. I miss them.

They moved out and into their new home the middle of January. Unfortunately, they moved out while I was battling a bout of shingles, so I couldn’t help with their move. It was an abrupt departure, since my having shingles also put the little ones at risk for chickenpox so there were no hugs “good-bye”. I came home from the hospital to an empty, quiet house which in some ways was harder to cope with than shingles. Thankfully, I am recovered, and I am now able to visit all my grands without fear of being contagious.

The last couple of weeks I have been “reclaiming” my house, so to speak. I do this every year in January after Christmas, but having another family under our roof for the last ten months, it’s readjusting to a new normal. I methodically go from room to room and sort, clean, organize, and purge. It is easier and easier each year to let go of those things I have held on to that have become mostly dust collectors. I am definitely not a minimalist, I’m way too sentimental to give up some of my collections, however, as I age I value time much more than stuff!

After my husband’s father passed away in 2012, and we packed up his home, I brought home chinaware, glassware and some nik naks that I just couldn’t bear having auctioned off in the estate sale. I did the same thing when my parents passed years before. Needless to say, it only added to my clutter at home. I never used the pieces and my dust collection was accumulating. I was so thankful when my son-in-law took a liking to the chinaware and started using it when they prepared meals here. I asked if they would like to have it in their new home and they were delighted to take it. That freed up cupboard space for me and thus began the great purge of 2026, divesting myself of even more stuff.

My kids always know when I get into this cleaning mode, I try to unload some of the “stuff” on them. My son refused to claim a box I had designated his. “Mom! I have four boys! What should I do with Grandma’s tea set?!”

He’s got a point.

I recently came across some humorous videos of adult children making fun of some of their parent’s collections. One in particular hit close to home when the adult child lamented her inheritance of a glass cabinet filled with Precious Moments figurines. The dozens of comments followed with people wondering what to do with collector dolls, Snow Baby figurines, and spoon collections.

I am guilty of collecting all of the above!

The best idea came from a woman whose grandmother had recently passed. At her memorial service, the family had her precious collections on tables, and after the service all attendee’s were encouraged to take a keepsake to remember her grandmother. Everyone left with a memento!

I love that idea!

After all, the earthly treasures I’ve accumulated over these many years will have no real importance or value in the great scheme of things. What will be valued is time well spent with family and friends. Endearing conversations and memory-making that flow out from a blessed life grounded in Christ.

I pray for nuggets of Godly wisdom I can pass on that will be remembered and cherished much more than any of my dust-collecting nik nacs.

Amen? Amen.