Regrets?

"I've never missed any of the stuff I got rid of!" 

I've heard more than one person say that after downsizing. But... 

I cannot honestly say that. There have certainly been things that I have missed - and there have been more than a few second thoughts about things that are gone. 

Does it hurt sometimes?

Yes, it does.

Do I make some bad decisions about what to keep and what to pitch?
Probably.

But you know what?
It is a process.
I am learning.
Certainly I will make unwise decisions.
Certainly it will be hard.
Of course, there may be regrets.
That's life!

But am I sorry that we took steps to change things and to be intentional about changing course for this season in our lives?
Absolutely NOT!

We are so, so thankful that we found the courage to do this thing. It has been well worth the cost and the occasional sadness or pain.

After all, if we had just stayed where we were and not made the changes, pain and sadness and difficulty would have come our way anyway. And we would have still been stuck there. How much better to have done the hard stuff so that we could get free to do the fun stuff!

...

In hindsight, as I look back from my new place of freedom, I'm thinking that perhaps "regret" is not the right word.  I think a better way to describe it is that there have been things that I grieve. I mourn the loss.  Several losses. I may have had to grieve when letting it go and I may have had to grieve since then.  It's okay.  It is healthy even - to take the time to mourn our losses.  

But it is not exactly the same as regret.

So yes, I mourn the losses, but I don't regret that we have done this thing.

That we have paid the price for our new freedom.

I love where we are now and I am very grateful.