This is something I’ve thought about a lot. I have fears of several types of disasters, and the two that scare me the most are fires and tornadoes. In both, I not only could lose all my possessions, I could lose my cats. I’d be heartbroken over that.
I think about the things that would disappear out of my life and do what I can to minimize some of the losses. I have a safe deposit box for all my jewelry (“all” being a misleading word–I don’t have much, but what I have, I value). I got that when I thought about what would happen to a favorite ring of mine in a fire. It’s gold, and would likely melt. Since there was something I could do to prevent that, I did it. Now my jewelry sits there and I never wear it. Not that have occasion to anyway.
I’ve been working on a novel, and I save every chapter in the Microsoft cloud. I’m trusting that it’s safe there and no one could hack in, but the reality is, my novel needs so much work a stranger probably couldn’t do anything with anyway.
But those are the things that are relatively safe from disaster. What if all the hand knit items I’ve made over the years were suddenly gone? I’ve had to give some of them away because I don’t have room for them, but there’s still plenty I’ve hung on to. I have some beautiful shawls that I actually use, a few timeless sweaters I still wear, and that sort of thing. And all my knitting books and patterns! Okay, I’ve trimmed that collection down quite a bit, but I particularly treasure what I have.
Yes, I have renter’s insurance, which would buy me some new furniture, dishes, and clothes. But it wouldn’t replace the Snoopy mug I got when I sixteen or the handmade cards a friend has given me.
So what would I do if I lost all my possessions? You can bet I’d cry some. But if my cats were safe and I was safe, I guess I’d find a way to rebuild. Looking around now at all the things I own, such as the book of poetry my great-grandfather gave my great-grandmother on their wedding day and the Christmas ornaments friends have given me over the years, I know I can’t keep them all safe.
So I need to value what I have while I have it. But these are treasures that will eventually fall into ruin one day anyway. Who knows what will end up in a landfill when I die. I need to build up treasures for eternity. I can lose all my possessions, but I cannot lose the love of God.
Image Credits: Teddy Bear © VK Studio; Tornado © Breck; Typewriter © OneLineStock–all, stock.adobe.com
My World With Words 
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