The things we choose to keep

A few days ago I was organizing some things around the house and came across something that had been stored away for years.

It wasn't especially beautiful.

It wasn't something I used either.

But when I held it in my hands I thought: I'm not going to throw this away.

And I got curious.

Because we live surrounded by things, but not all of them end up meaning something to us.

There is a mug that we always choose even though we have many.

A book that we probably won't read again, but that we keep taking with us every time we move.

A photo that isn't the best quality, but that we would never delete.

A garment that has survived several closet cleanouts.

A handwritten recipe.

A letter.

A small gift that, to anyone else, would surely have no value.

And I think that's the beautiful thing about it.

The value of some things is not necessarily in what they cost, but in the story they build with us.

Sometimes we keep them because they remind us of someone.

Others, because they were present in an important moment.

And some simply because, after a long time, we still like them.

Maybe that's why lately I like to think a little more before bringing something new home.

Not from the idea of having less just for having less.

But from a much simpler question:

Would I like to still have this in a few years?

Obviously we can't always know.

We also buy things that we love and then stop using. We change tastes, routines, homes, even ways of seeing life.

And that's okay.

But I think there is something beautiful in starting to choose thinking a little beyond the moment.

In surrounding ourselves, little by little, with things we really enjoy.

Things we use.

That we take care of.

That have a story.

That age with us.

Maybe we will never know which ones will end up staying for years.

But we can start by choosing those we would like to give the opportunity to stay.