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If you've ever been in the McKinney home, you know that we are not minimalists. On the contrary, we love our collections! And on top of that, I love to make stuff! Our home is full of things that proclaim, "Robyn, Clay and Alice live here!" Though of little value or interest to other folks, our stuff makes us feel comfortable, safe, and at home.
My toddler is the Queen of Treasures in our home. Like most kids her age, she hoards treasures, toting them around in her purses or toy shopping cart. She has so many treasures that I cannot possibly keep up with them. Today she had me searching high and low for the two medicine droppers she uses as drumsticks. She carries around a plastic tomato slice which she calls a "cracker." She can often be found with a little blue medicine cup, which she uses to feed "milk" to all her babies. She latches onto the most insignificant things (and occasionally very significant things) and makes them her own. Sometimes to her mommy's dismay. She has no real concept of personal property and is constantly borrowing and mislaying my stuff. She has tried to call the police from my ADT keychain. She has made off and hid everything from my shoes to my craft supplies. She has yanked pins out of my pincushion and strewn them across the floor. She has even gotten hold of my make-up bag, streaking lipstick, concealer and mascara on her face. She also has a fascination for Mommy's creations, which is very flattering. Unfortunately, she really has a hard time keeping her hands to herself when she takes a liking to one of my delicate turtle sculptures, and several of them have been maimed in the process.
Usually, our house is a mess, with all of Alice's treasures strewn here and there. But we do clean up together every night, which hopefully gives her a concept of household order and good stewardship over her belongings. Also, it’s the only way I can keep all those beloved puzzle pieces and blocks from getting lost forever! It's a hassle, but she enjoys her things, and I want to respect that.
I know of people who have, for different motives, been possessed by a fit of downsizing and have infringed upon their children's right to their treasures. Maybe they feel guilty for having so much, and they think their kids should be, too. Maybe they're tired of the clutter. Maybe they've decided their kids were too old for "Goodnight Moon" and My Little Pony. Some tell their children they obviously don't appreciate their stuff enough, so some of it must go. Some surreptiously clean out their kids room while they are gone and then deny knowledge. Some coax their children into giving up their toys by telling them that some less-fortunate child needs them. Because there are so many kids in American bereft of stuffed animals and Barbie dolls, right? And then they drop the stuff off at Goodwill, and it invariably winds up in the hands of, say, Alice's doting grandma.
Clay and I were both really lucky to grow up in families who respected our treasures and let us hang onto them as long as we liked. It's great to grow up knowing that your things are safe. It give you a sense of trust in your family, and it gives you respect for your siblings' things, too. How many kids grow up knowing that no one is going to read their diary, steal their money, purposely destroy their possessions, or sneak the Halloween candy out of their bags. Few, I'd say.
I think a lot of Christians think that ownership of things is evil. But I don't see it that way. I see them as blessings. They remind me of God's goodness and of the interesting, beautiful world he made for us to enjoy. Clay and I, like Alice, still love to study and admire our treasures.
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