What would you do if you lost all your possessions?
Growing up, in the bush, you would occasionally see bushfires burning in the distance. At night, they seemed closer to the point where you’d worry that if you went to sleep, you might wake to find your house on fire. During these times, I would make a mental list of the most important items I owned: the things I would take if I only had a few moments to spare. The things I thought I couldn’t live without, like my Derwent pencils, the Starcastle tea set, or my favorite Barbie.
At the end of the day my sole possessions included: a school uniform, schoolbooks, and a Bible (that’s a whole story for another time).
I had lost practically everything… And after the initial shock and we started to rebuild. to my surprise I found it was freeing to have not things. A fresh start. Juxtaposing my prior thoughts of holding onto things, I was lighter, more flexible. I placed more value in people and relationships. It was one of those events that sets a life’s trajectory. For a moody 14 year old it really put things into a new perspective.
Because I was a teenager, I think my reaction was different from what my reaction would be if I were to lose all my possessions today. I now have a home and a family. Years of journals and handmade art books, photos, and computers… half a lifetime’s worth of stuff. Do I need any of it? Probably not. But this stuff does make me more comfortable, and I am intentional with what I let into our home. I also freely throw things out when they are no longer bringing us benefit. So if I lost all my possessions again, it would be hard, I would be sad. But it wouldn’t be the worst thing. As long as I am connected with my community and maintain healthy relationships with those around me, I know I’ll be okay. After the house burned down, the news was reported nationally. The township received donations from all over Australia for those who lost their home that day. We were offered free therapy and sympathy. In the end, the values we hold as a collective are far more valuable than things.
Sarah Rudge 