Garage Sales as a Spiritual Discipline

First, a picture of this lovely ~~November~~, ~~February~~, uh May day from the skylight. Hmmm.

Leaves, leaves, wherefore art thou...

Garage sale season has begun. This makes me happy. We went out last week to some association sales in the area, and I went again this morning.

Like any shopping/acquiring endeavor, garage sales can lead to greed, but for me, it teaches me that I don't need everything I want. I learn patience and self-control and kindness.

Last week, Scott and I were walking up to a sale where I saw two of those lighted reindeer things. Lighted reindeer are not a need, of course. But I thought they would be cute in the middle of the trees in the front yard, and I knew Anna would love them. As we walked up, I looked at them, but there was no price. As I turned to ask the price, a man rushed up the driveway and blurted out my words, "How much for the reindeer?" He got them for five dollars each. I did say that I was just about to ask the price, but the fact that I was physically there first didn't matter. Sigh.

Sigh.

But hey, before I saw them, I didn't even know I wanted them, and Anna will never know that we almost had the reindeer. No harm, no foul. I don't need everything I want.

There are plenty of things that we have to buy new--like Justin's goalie gloves (which are not only expensive, but they don't last forever--this is new information for me). But, there are things that I can obtain cheaply if I just wait. Today I picked up flannel sheets for our bed. They will make me happy next winter (or actually this week if it doesn't warm up soon). Our garage needs organizing, and I picked up deep plastic shelving for a few dollars. There's a certain satisfaction is not going out to buy everything I want immediately when I want it. It guards against a certain self-sufficiency that I don't think is good for my soul.

It teaches me kindness as well. Garage sales are a mixed bag--some people mark their prices too high, some clearly have too much stuff, some put out junky things that I can't imagine anyone buying. But they've all taken the time to set up, mark prices, and sit out in the cold (at least so far this year) to let strangers pick through their stuff. I always say hello as I come in and a thank you as I leave. They offered me the hospitality of their garage.

Pepper didn't go this morning. She's not so into garage sales. She's still mid-trim, so has tufts of hair that need taken care of.