Right now, it somehow doesn’t quite seem appropriate to be writing about frivolous holiday experiences and memories. Civilian casualties in the Ukraine. Floods and disasters in eastern Australia. Not to imply that conflict and disaster doesn’t happen daily somewhere in the world. Just now, however, it is at the forefront in our minds.

Even my intention of returning to writing about “decluttering” seems a bit irrelevant. Media images of civilians fleeing Ukraine with only meagre possessions. Why are they bothering taking the TV? I wondered out loud, to be explained that it would be an item of value – not to watch, with no electricity (let alone house to put it in), but perhaps to sell for cash for food.

Media images of our interstate Aussies, with life-long gathered possessions all gone. Not necessarily literally swept away in floods, but damaged beyond repair. Some items, replaceable, but many irreplaceable – heirlooms, mementos, souvenirs. Photos maybe safely in cyberspace and retrievable, but precious hand-made albums perhaps taking many hours of loving dedication to craft – probably lost.

I did discard some decluttered possessions yesterday. Earlier in the year we moved no-longer required items into the garage when we painted some of the interior of the house. That broken ironing board already welded together once but now irreparable – it’s time to go. Organised an on-call hard rubbish pickup (available once a year, thanks Campbelltown City Council). Temporarily moved a few larger pieces in good condition to the front lawn for “neighbourhood donation pickup” – freebies for anyone who wants to take them. Those old well-used wooden Ikea kitchen stools Tammy bought some 18 years ago, and we used second-hand for 10 years? Already scavenged to be useful in someone else’s home.

But, imposed decluttering, I thought to myself. Forced decluttering due to fleeing – invading countries or natural disasters. Today I’m not going to declutter anything. We are so privileged to have “stuff”. Souvenirs, photos, too many clothes, unnecessary belongings, miscellaneous gifts, a pile of books waiting to be read, a stash of craft materials to use “one day”, a pile of old cutlery just in case we have a big BBQ/party, boxes of footy paraphernalia gathered over years of being avid fans, a shelf of chipped crockery kept not to use but because it was Mum’s/Nana’s/Grandma’s. We don’t need many of these, but we are so lucky that we have them, can keep them, and have a spacious house we can fill with possessions to our hearts’ content. What a privilege.