The Treasure Hunt and Why It Matters

Part III: On letting go, choosing well, and making space for what matters

Photo by Alain ROUILLER on Unsplash

Read part 1 here. Read part 2 here.

One of my favorite parts of motherhood is hunting for clothes. I love buying clothes and searching for treasures, as I call it. Hubby knows this, and I am so grateful he gives me the freedom to play with this in my time.

Almost daily, out of sheer pleasure and curiosity, I spend time on second-hand apps and websites, looking for:

• High-quality pieces at a fraction of the price
• Next sizes for our kids before we urgently need them
• Shoes that will actually last through a season

And often, I find treasures, items like new, barely worn, sometimes even with tags still on. Each time, it feels like a small win. But it’s more than that, for me and for our family.

This habit allows me to:

• Stay ahead of growth spurts
• Avoid last-minute, expensive purchases
• Keep our home stocked with what we actually need

I regularly declutter, which means I can bring new items in without creating excess.

It’s a cycle that goes like this: We use. We release. We renew. We flow.

What This Means for Me as a Mother

This has very little to do with closets or schedules.

I actually feel more grounded while treasure hunting because I fully enjoy it. For me, it’s a way to disconnect, to use my creativity and my eye for colors and fabrics. I also do it out of a quiet refusal to take part in the constant consumerism of buying new every time.

I am less reactive and less overwhelmed by “too much.”

Healing some of my old patterns — especially around scarcity and holding on — has made me a calmer parent.

I’m not managing chaos all the time. Not anymore, or very little.

I’m creating space in our home, in my mind, in my habits. I am taking up more space myself, as a person and as a woman.

I make space for my children to grow. I allow space for myself to think. I make space for our home to breathe.

Image created by athor

And maybe that’s the real goal.

I realized, over time, that we don’t need to have everything perfectly organized. We are building a life where things flow, where we’re not weighed down by what we don’t need.

If you’re a mother who feels the pull to hold on, to keep, to prepare for every “what if”, please know that you’re not alone.

And please know that it’s possible to soften that instinct, little by little. I’m sharing this from my own experience. The trick is not to force yourself to let go, because that doesn’t work. I learned this through years of therapy, on myself.

What I needed was patience and a sense of safety: in our home, in our systems, and in myself.

I used to hold on to many things and ideas too tightly.

Now, I am learning something else, and I invite you to reflect on your own experience if this is something that could fit your lifestyle:

image created by athor

Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate you.

I’ll be sharing more soon. Subscribe to my newsletter to get this type of essay in your inbox and all the extra perks.

Read also and reflect on the lovely words of Annelise Lords

“What if Balance were human Would your life go as planned Will fame forever hold your hand No matter your lifespan”

[embed]What If Balance Was Human? Would our lives go as we planned? Would Fame and Power stay forever in your hands?medium.com

✍ — Edited and Published by Dr. Gabriella Korosi, at Dancing Elephants Press. Click here for submission guidelines.