All our worldly goods, are, as in turns out, quantifiable. There was an initial shipment of 70 cubic feet of mostly-books, which as of yesterday is in the garage of our new condo. There was the major shipment, 680 cubic feet of every-sort-of-thing, which, after our re-assertion of its being free of gypsy moths, was admitted into the Golden State and is now residing in a warehouse. Another 50 cubic feet of didn’t-quite-fit is resting on this coast pending shipment. Tomorrow we expect the 73 cubic feet of cargo space in our Rav4 will be packed to the brim with clothing and instruments.

Most people feel instinctively that materialism is the opposite of spirituality, and that worldly goods in excess are pejorative. However much anyone personally considers excessive, when disaster strikes, we all prefer losing our possessions to losing a family member, a friend, or even a beloved pet. After all, things can be replaced.

Since there is a real, though small, chance that after their journey all of our worldly goods have been shattered, I started to think about irreplaceable items. Tchotchkes my late father owned, that caught his eye, are precious to me, as are his writings and photographs of him. Books and toys that my sons cherished when they were small are meaningful because I remember the attachment, though they do not. Furniture and housewares handed down over the generations are reminders of our family’s long history in this country, and a chance to handle items my forebears also touched.

Most of the value of these items is inside my head, rather than intrinsic to the items themselves. If I don’t share the stories of an item, it will mean nothing after I am gone, even to people close to me. If I do share its stories, the meaning could survive even if the item doesn’t.

On the other hand, while packing, I found items I had forgotten, which triggered memories. Losing an item could therefore correspond to losing a memory, or at least making it less likely to surface. This could be useful: if you want to forget something, discard the evidence.

***Note to followers: I will be off-grid at camp next week so probably will not post again until Sept. 2. ***