Are You A Collector? Is It An Addiction? My Collections~Part One

As far back as I can remember, I have been collecting one thing or another! My earliest recollection, is age 4, in Alaska.

I had a big "family" of stuffed critters, in every color under the rainbow. All were friends, actually family is more like it!!! They were soft and cuddly in just the right places and each had a name, as they were all so very special in my little heart, until that fateful day!!!

My daddy, whom I adored, came in from work one afternoon and announced to my mother, we were leaving Alaska for a new life in the golden state, California, where the sun never stops shining!!! My five siblings were thrilled, my mother, not so much!! She was an air force wife and had moved almost yearly for the last 20 years...she thought Alaska was it!!! My father had retired from the military two years prior, and they planned to make Alaska "home sweet home". So much for "plans".

The other news: we had three days to get prepared and head south!!!! We were hopping on a military ship, for a week long trek down the pacific coast! Just what every mother wants more than anything, gathering up all earthly belongings, six children and hunker down on a massive vessel for seven days and nights!!!

Caught up in the whirlwind, etched in my mind forever, were the words my father spoke to me the night before our departure, "Honey, you can take only one stuffed animal." It was the turning point in my life!!! I had to say goodbye to my friends, my family... how could I choose one?????

Torn, I made the agonizing decision and told the others goodbye, tears streaming across my chubby cheeks. I did not sleep that night and barely slept for the next seven nights on board ship. My little heart ached, as I worried about my "babies" and if they were being taken care of by the neighbor girl I had entrusted with their fragile lives. My tears could have filled the entire ocean!!!!

It was at that time, collecting and "keeping" precious things became an important part of my spirit, my soul, my heart!! In my little mind, I pledged to never, ever give up something I loved again! I would never let someone rip apart my life like that! I would never give away something that meant that much to me... It was a pact I intended to keep.

Through the years, I've collected everything, rocks, rose petals, toys, clothes, shoes, books, friends... you name it, anything that caught my eye, looked pretty or simply made me feel good!! Through the years I have stashed away little and big treasures alike and now sometimes wonder, did I start collecting to fill a void and did my innocent collecting become an "addiction"??

We all have voids and fill them in our own "creative" and sometimes destructive way!!

According to Wikipedia:

The hobby of collecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever items are of interest to the individual collector.

When a passion for collecting begins to interfere with your personal life in a negative way...it may be an obsession or addiction and no longer an innocent collection.

Symptoms of a collecting addiction could include:

• You look for, buy, trade collectibles for hours on end, and the time you spend doing this has increased
• You think about collectibles constantly, even when you’re not actively collecting
• You have missed important meetings and events because of collecting
• It's difficult for you to not buy more collectibles
• You try to sneak more items into your home and hide them away
• You have tried, unsuccessfully, to stop collecting
• Your family or friends have asked you to cut back on collecting
• Your personal interests have changed because of your collecting
• You have created a financial burden on yourself and/or family due to your collecting
• You have lost a personal or professional relationship because of collecting
• The collecting no longer "makes you happy"

I am not certain if my collecting has crossed the line, as I do find myself with many emotional ties to the items I collect and treasure. I know that I don't spend endless hours collecting, nor do I spend all our money on items I just can't pass up...so I think I'm "good to go", or I have my "addiction" under control.

I do love "hunting and gathering" and it just happens to be items I want to arrange and enjoy in my little home sweet home. I do smile and find comfort in many of the items... On that note, I just realized... In the last three years, I have begun to "hunt and gather" critters as well; at last count there was 70+ on our little farm!!!

I believe as long as I am collecting items or critters and I can afford it and come from a place of love and nurturing...it's ok. And, if it is an "addiction", it's far better than several I have, fight off and face every single day of my life.

So here's to the teddy bears, rolling pins, birdhouses, kitchen gadgets, plates, chickens, photos, wood boxes, home decor, quilts, rain boots and a multitude of fabulous items I cherish. And, of course to all the critters big and small I love so dearly!!!