Sometimes a story arrives and it brings more unexpected surprises!
These went to Di and she's making a very special wedding necklace for her Godchild, who's named Frances, just like the Saint Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini! If you'd like you can read more about Mother Frances Cabrini and what I think is interesting about her life by clicking here.
Also, in Ireland, it's believed that the Infant of Prague will bring good weather on your wedding day, so I was hoping these would "some how" go to someone for their wedding and they did!
I think these may end up being a "destiny as infinity" piece or heirloom piece that just keep on giving through the centuries!
Not only did these find a nice creative home that will bring special memories of one especially important day in two lives, but my story inspired someone elses!!!! I receive inspiration all over the place, but rarely do find out that I inspired someone else!
Here's the email:
Kennedy,
I received the beautiful medals! Thank you for your prompt mailing and for the fun little "add-on's"!!! I await the arrival of the chain I ordered to put them on and the hand-painted prayer card. I found a little silver letter box to put them in, so when everything is ready to roll, I will write up and summary and take a photo to share with you on your blog. I love that!
Thank you also for your handwritten letter...what a rarity in today's world. I am glad you are making headway in the struggle of hoarding, or as I refer to it as "collecting". It's in my blood, too, actually. Up until recent years, I didn't really even see it as anything to crow about. I have two aunts who "collect". Grandparents who "collected". As a child, I loved "collecting" small items such as rocks and other miniature toys.
So, when my grandparents died, I was the receiver of many of their antiques and collections. That kind of got me started in wanting to add to these collections, and in no time at all, my house was filled with "treasures", with an over packed storage room to boot!
Then, it became my favorite pastime to go on the famous "hunt". Every second hand thrift and antiques store in my area was my stomping ground.
Then, a few years ago, I decided I wanted to collect things to sell in a store "someday", so I loaded up on goods until I had no more storage room left. So, last year, I opened up a booth at the local antiques mall, thinking I was going to rake in the dough from my "cheap" finds. Well, six months in that department ended up costing me time and money and maybe part of my sanity! In my the back of my mind, I was searching for a second career when I retire from teaching, but it didn't take me long to discover this was not a way to make money! It was a very expensive hobby.
I guess what finally shocked me back to realty was my family saying that my "stuff" seemed more important than people. While being separated from my husband for four years, my kids getting older and not "needing" me as much, and dealing with some mentally ill family members, my losses were seemingly overwhelming me to a point of seeking an escape...which led me to what I now can deem "hoarding". Even though I was/am an organized hoarder, it still had taken over my life in many ways. As I look back, it went in waves. I would go from having too much stuff to getting rid of it and building up again. Last summer, I had a garage sale and sold mega stuff (after I let go of the booth at the mall) for way too cheap! Then, I donated the rest to my church garage sale.
It makes me ill to think of all the money I have "wasted" over the years on "stuff", but I know I can't go back and change that, and I know it is not how I want to live my life now, albeit very hard not to want to start up again!
I do love so many "things", but I need to remember that the comfort those "things" bring me should not be a replacement for connecting with people. I still have a few collections that I try to keep within management: books, sea shells, jars, religious medals, clocks, keys...I am also a kindergarten teacher, so my classroom is my second place of "comfort" and is filled with lots of fun things! It doesn't help that my teaching partner is a hoarder as well. She continues to "fill up", so I get to enjoy her binges from a little bit of a distance, and that kind of helps me "remember" where I don't want to go again. My saving grace is that I am an annual weed-outer. All I have to do is watch one episode of "Hoarders", and the fear takes over me.
On a funny note, my youngest son who's 16 came home from work last night to find the basement turned upside down, as I am in the process of organizing and clearing out the storage room. You would think my kids would be used to this, as it has happened every summer since they were born. However, he said, "Mom! Now I can't have friends over tonight. Look at this mess! They are going to think we're hoarders!".
Hmmm...
Wow! You inspired me to write about something I have been not even wanting to talk about, yet alone admit that my "collecting" was/could be a problem in my life! So, thank you for that!
Have a great day! Thanks again for sharing your story!!!! By the way, I love your name. Your the second person I have met with that name. The first was a former student. She spelled it Kennady.
Di
This person sounds so like me, it could be me! In another dimension or time on a parallel plane. Have I unlocked a door with my key of imagination of sight and sound......can you hear the Twilight Zone music too? Click here to revisit the intro of the Twilight Zone and music that many of us grew up on....
I might have a doppelganger in the mid west some where! What she wrote, could be a letter to myself! I could write so much more about this, but my insomnia is taking it's toll and my mind is blurred.
The only difference I can find with this person is that I taught third grade and she teaches kinder! Also, I don't have anyone vocal to remind me I'm a hoarder because everyone in my family is one!
Saying Good-bye: Now that my vast and extensive religious medal collection is dwindling down to a large handful or maybe two handfuls, I am getting a little nervous about it and get little urges to rebuy them! I keep reminding myself that I am allergic to the metal ones and I've saved enough to last me a life time in art projects.
It seems that Di is collecting Saints of the names she is close to or her Godchild is close to, which I think is extremely thoughtful and unique. Every time I get a twinge of sadness or seller's "regret" and end up "window shopping" for more of them, I remind myself that Di made my "destiny as infinity" dreams come true and what I have is enough and not to let it what I want get in the way of what I have.
I do seem to have hit a milestone of some sort, in the sense that I need to get used to seeing more "empty" space in my home, now that 319 items are gone, instead of wanting to fill it up again. The music art room has made progress also and the only thing stacked to the ceiling now are empty boxes, rather than a hoard of boxes stacked up to the ceilings!
As a recovering hoarder, I think I might unconsciously find comfort in clutter and "empty" space is much more uncomfortable, almost unpleasant and stressful for reasons unknown to me yet....I'll have to wait and see if I get used to it or if there is a more underlying meaning to "empty" space for me.
What I learned:
1. I am reminded that changing my behavior is changing my thoughts, which brings me back to this quote:
“Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.”
2. I must stay focused on my health because everything else seems to fall into place with much less resistance.
Thank you Di for your story, kind words of encouragement, emails and perhaps I've found a lost twin! It's amazing to connect with someone who knows exactly what I'm talking about! I look forward to finding out how this new information about yourself helps you. Thank you for helping me!
Thank you Etsy for helping me on this journey and connecting me with so many non judgmental people with open minds that have made way to keep my mind open too. I never thought my hoarding could or would turn into a good thing, nor turn from pain to joy. It's really true that one step begins a journey and it only takes one step in front of another, even though sometimes I step backwards!
Thank you US, Russia, China, Germany and Croatia for your visits the past few days and joining me in my HoarderRehab and The Destiny of Things! Click on the shop names to visit new hoard added daily: VintageToGoEtsy, HoarderRehab and The Destiny of Things!
Related Stories:
1. Turn your hoard into a museum! From Vernon ware to The Museum of California Design!
2. Hoarding as a Business, this Etsy blog story inspired me as a recovering hoarder, but she's not a hoarder.
2. A story from someone who admits they may have hoarder tendencies, 100 Teacher Stickers!
3. From Hoarder to Hoarder: My Chocolate Milk Caps : from one recovering hoarder to another
4. My first story from someone who thinks they are not a hoarder, but Hoarder Lite: Mexican Folk Art Tin Frames
Other Stories from Self-Proclaimed Hoarders and Not:
1. Day of the Dead Calavera Skull Beads
2. As a Hoarder I am Not Alone, Today's Hoarder Rehab Epiphany #3
3. There are plenty more I've read in Etsyians profiles and Etsyians who have sent me emails about their own hoards, I wish I had kept track of them!
4. The Peterson Museum: Garages for American Clutter
5. Hoarding as the New American Epidemic! at least in my neighborhood
2. As a Hoarder I am Not Alone, Today's Hoarder Rehab Epiphany #3
3. There are plenty more I've read in Etsyians profiles and Etsyians who have sent me emails about their own hoards, I wish I had kept track of them!
4. The Peterson Museum: Garages for American Clutter
5. Hoarding as the New American Epidemic! at least in my neighborhood
Most Read Story of the Week: It's a three way tie!
1. Happy Birthday Musical Rotating Dessert Stand, Story #2
2. Ethiopian Coptic Cross, Story #78
3. My Louis Vuitton Collection , Story #33
Most Read Story of the Month and All Time Most Read:
1. My Louis Vuitton Collection , Story #33
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