16 Comments
Sep 16, 2022·edited Sep 16, 2022Liked by Jane Ratcliffe

I'm with Wendy. Just the humans and the dogs and my purse!

I was in this situation when my childhood home was foreclosed on. It broke my heart to leave everything: pieces of my childhood and my mother's piano, for example, but taught me to travel very lightly and abandon all things sentimental. Imho, we carry the most important things within us, or else they walk beside us ✨

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author

Oh, that's beautiful and heartbreaking and beautiful, again. I'm sorry you lost so many treasures. But I agree, the deepest ones are within or beside.

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Sep 15, 2022Liked by Jane Ratcliffe

My passport. I was a refugee as a child, so this is the first thing that comes to mind for me. Beyond that, jewelry from my grandparents.

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author

Those are beautiful and important things to take. A passport can save your life. Hope you feel settled in your life now. Thank you for sharing!

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I’m another one for just the humans and the dog, if it came down to it. But this whole exercise has me thinking about the things I would grieve most in the loss- particular pieces of art, some very special books, photos, my oldest stuffed animal, our instruments. The biggest loss would be the house itself, given its history and the fact that we built it ourselves. My whole home is full of unique relationships. This prompt has me thinking “It’s all replaceable, and it’s all irreplaceable”. A strange paradox that exists within those particular kinds of tragedies.

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author

Oh, I love this sentence: "My whole home is full of unique relationships." So true. Some of the losses wouldn't be the objects themselves. Beautiful and tender.

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founding

My first inclination would be to grab valuables from the safe: jewelry, passports, deeds...yet, none of these actually feed me on a day to day basis. I have a favorite stash jar that's shape brings me inexplicable joy every time I see it. Maybe that. There's 865 pairs of shoes in my closet, but I couldn't pick one pair out of the bunch that means more than another. I guess the only thing I'd take, if I had Herculean strength, is my humans, and right after them, my dog, Otis. My humans and Otis are precious and irreplaceable.

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author

I love this! And you raise an interesting point that some of the key things we'd need to take, that might be necessary for survival, don't feed us on a day to day basis. I support grabbing the humans and Otis!

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Sep 15, 2022Liked by Jane Ratcliffe

To be poetic, Cleome seeds I just saved from a favorite flower in my garden, the folio with

negatives/prints of wedding photos on my beloved Brooklyn Bridge. To not be naked, my favorite jeans and my softest drapey t-shirt, a wool sweater, a trusty bandana. To be pragmatic ID & bank card, phone & charger. Hopefully my meaningful rings would already be on my fingers so no need to grab them.

I love this question and have pondered it many times for years.

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author

I love this array of things. Such good balance. Tender and practical. I also pondered it a lot! Thanks for sharing.

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Sep 17, 2022Liked by Jane Ratcliffe

Wow, I think I’d take nothing. Clean break!

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author

I can see the wisdom and beauty in that!

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Photo books of my kids, my animals, my novel, and there’s a few books And things my kids made I’d grab if I had time

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author

That sounds exactly right! And it would be hard to lose the things your kids made. Here's hoping you're never in that situation!

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Sep 15, 2022Liked by Jane Ratcliffe

How did I forget my biker boots? They’d see me through.

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author

Can't get far without those!

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