With the publication of “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying-up, the Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing,” the process of decluttering is a topic that there has recently been a lot of interest in  the media. One of the author’s basic premises is only keep an object if, when holding it, it brings you “joy.”

In reading the reviews and commentaries about the book, I’ve often thought about the period of time right after my Mom died. I stood in my parents’ house with my Dad and he asked me to clean out my Mom's belongings as he could not. He told me that my sister and I could have whatever we wanted and we would donate to charity the rest of her possessions.

Hours later, my Dad was shocked to see that almost all of my Mom’s belongings were in the donation pile. I had saved for my sister my Mom’s engagement ring (my sister “called” it first), my Mom’s wedding band for me and a bracelet for my brother’s wife. My Mom did not have a lot of jewelry. She did not like to spend money on herself. The only other piece of jewelry she had was a necklace comprised of charms she wore every day; each charm representing one of her grandchildren. I took the necklace apart and gave each grandchild their charm.

My Dad begged me and my sister to take more of her belongings such as her leather coat and pocketbooks. We both declined telling my Dad that the rings were enough. And they were. We each wear the rings every day. And, every so often, we will call one another and tell the other that we were thinking about our Mom while looking at her ring on our finger. In a way, the rings bring us each a sense of joy.

What possession brings you joy?