Letting Go!

Letting Go!

I have to admit that I am not much of a reader.  However, I stumbled upon a blog recently that caught my attention.  The young Tulsa mother was lamenting about needing to simplify her life without getting rid of what their family needs. She confessed that their closets and dresser drawers were full to overflowing with items that they no longer needed.  With one infant child in the house, they didn't know that a baby needed so many things. 

She commented that they weren't sure if they were going to have another child and asked the questions that so many of us have had at one point or another.....do I need to save this stuff and if not..how do I let go?  She spoke of the baby's first Christmas outfit or the outfit that her child walked in for the first time and all the memories attached to those items.

She then went on to mention that she knew about the options in which to let go. Just Between Friends as well as a local non-profit that helps families in emergency situations, Emergency Infant Services were both on her option list.  Her question to her readers was...How can I let go?

I have copied my response to her below.

My kids are now teenagers. It's been a long time since I had some of those same feelings, but reading your blog took me back to the time when my children were infants. I remember having a hard time getting rid of things initially. I had to train myself to think about the people that would be blessed by the items that I was cleaning out.

I think it is funny that you mentioned two options that are close to my heart, JBF and EIS.  I have been blessed by being able to witness the smiles on customers faces as they come through the lines at JBF knowing that they have wonderful items for the children and that they would not be able to clothe their children in that manner without others consigning their beautiful, gently loved items that they no longer need.

I don't get to work the check out as often as I like, but did have the chance to work it a little at the Fall Just Between Friends sale in Tulsa. I had a woman with a tiny infant come through my line, a teenage mom. She did not have a mom or a husband with her at the time. It was the 1/2 price day and she came up with three outfits (none were over 2 dollars), two bibs and some bottles. When I rang up the sale, it came to about $11.00. She looked embarrassed and told me that she needed to put something back, that she didn't realize that there was tax. She had ten dollars to spend on her new baby and I could tell it was a stretch. Of course, I told her that there wasn't going to be any putting-back. She left there with all of her purchases and I went in my office and started crying.?

That experience solidified my feelings that consigning and donating my items is the way to go. I recently joined the board at Emergency Infant Services (www.emergencyinfantservices.org) and get to hear about the tons and tons of families that use their services. About two years ago, they would see about 15-20 families a day offering help with clothing, formula, medicine, car seats, cribs, etc. With the recession, those numbers have gone up to 50-60 a day!

The needs around the country are so great and every little bit helps! When you are looking at your child's precious clothes and thinking of the memories....start a new thought, one that envisions another needy mom getting to experience the joy of the outfit too, because of your generosity!

It's a life changer and makes it so much easier to take that first step and let go.

Shannon Wilburn
Tulsa, Oklahoma
 

Comments

Shannon Wilburn, you made me cry at work!!! Thank you for sharing this story and for reminding all of us what we should be REALLY concerned about...and that is others! God can work miracles in and around us IF we would stop looking at ourselves and look around. YOU ROCK!!!

MrsWig, Tuesday, March 02, 2010

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