Another week comes to a close. It gave me a chance to pen down my thoughts on the different relationships I share with people, countries, and myself. But this is 2025. How could I forget about things or material possessions? There are so many things we feel attached to. Home, clothes, jewellery, gifts, smells, food, phone…

I remember holding on to my dolls all the way to my teen years. And I remember a huge teddy that my mother gave to the neighbour’s kid when I was at school one day. I felt mad. I felt upset. I still remember that day as clear as daylight. But now, I wonder, why do we feel so deeply about things?

Sure, there are memories attached. I still have some of the first baby clothes my girls wore. I still have all their greeting cards from the time they were toddlers and made them for me on Mother’s Day and my birthday. I have all things close to heart. And I love sarees that I have received as heirloom from my mother. Sure, there is meaning. I still love the black and white pictures of Mom and Dad from their youth and my childhood. They tell stories that are deep-rooted in my existence. Sure, there are things I treasure. Like my children’s paintings, that are no less than the works of Picasso for me.

I may have to build a museum someday. For I am a hoarder. But then, I think life is so impermanent. There are no guarantees when someone up there flips the switch. This body we claim to be ours is like a rented flat. It is limited edition only. And unlike old buildings, there is no re-development happening. We will have to say goodbye. To this body. To this identity. To everything we value and treasure. To all the hard feelings we carry about others. To our fears and anxieties. To our love and dreams too. And so, does it really make sense to keep everything of value in some locked cabinet over the years. I am compelled to think. For the joy or love that those things may have brought us are permanently etched on our souls.

But wisdom and emotions never go hand in hand. And no matter how temporary the nature of life, I believe there is a permanence in relationships. In love. And in the feelings and emotions they evoke. Because it is those very feelings that make us human. So, I am not giving away or letting go anything dear to my heart.

P.S. The only thing I do not feel attached to is my phone. Something that people die with taking selfies sometimes. As much as we value our relationship with people and things, what matters most is our relationship with ourselves, the growth mindset and the ability to let go that which does not serve us right. Everything else is an integral part of being alive.