How Much Is Too Much?

I’ve been contemplating this for a while, as I look around my house at all the items we’ve collected *and obviously felt we needed and now desperately wanting to downsize the volume. I feel like purging! It’s about time…I wish I were a minimalist at heart.

Just this morning I tackled an area that literally hasn’t been touched in years – covered with dust not even knowing what collected on the tippy top of the bookshelf – I slowly started pulling a stack of pages from various children’s books that had gotten torn – why did we collect them???? I remember, the reason was because we didn’t want to throw away a cute book and thought we’d get around to ‘saving’ them. A project that never happened mostly because the one thing I never seem to be able to find is tape but it was time, along with those massive heavy books with the microphone and buttons that electronically make a prerecorded moo or say “Howdy!”, but once the very expensive unique batteries run out are useless….to the garbage!

And then I was reading through comments on a thread of someone’s Facebook post when I decided to write about this feeling of’ how much is too much’?

The picture was an astonishing collection of baked goods that someone has already prepared for Rosh Hashana through Sukkot. That alone boggled my my mind – literally she had 16 round challahs, 6 honey loaf cakes, 3 pecan pies, 6 chocolate chip banana breads, 2 dozen muffins from the same batter, amaretto bundt, 3 amaretto loaf cakes, a dozen amaretto muffins, and a giant vat of chicken soup.

All I kept thinking was man, that is ALOT of challah and baked goods – I assume she has a large family and needs to prepare like this in order to NOT get overwhelmed. Even though this seems like a lot, I married into a family with a sister-in-law who has 12 children and as the role of a communal rebbetzin she often prepared for the masses- this amount to me didn’t seem like it was ‘too much’.  So I start reading through some of the 187 messages and someone posted a comment about owning 4 freezers.

FOUR FREEZERS??? Why? Oh my gosh why? She explained: her main freezer was for everyday stuff, a small freezer for soup, one for meats, and the last for baked goods. After reading more in absolute shock she went on to explain that she owns her own business (is not a caterer), hosts quite often and feels better knowing she can provide meals or pull out some spares should the need arise. It’s smart and really beautiful but I also think a bit absurd.

I have a close friend who is super organized and I always tease her because she too preps so far in advance and her freezers are also always stuffed! And when she looks in my freezer she laughs and can’t understand why there is so much room – I also feed a lot of people and often have guests! I have learned to buy what I need at that time, cook, serve and eat what I have prepared and then repeat the week after – some people opt to buy in bulk so that they don’t have to shop again…THAT NEVER WORKS FOR ME!!

I always end up at one store or another to buy more spices or milk or I don’t know random necessary Ben and Jerry’s – my point is I end up there anyway, I might as well not spend more than I have to per week!

How Much Is Too Much?

I have this one friend who keeps posting their body fat percentage – the goal being 0% – it’s so unsettling but at the same time I keep inwardly rooting for this person to finally reach their goal – but then what? That’s a full-time job – I often think – Cheri, had you gone into the physical fitness profession you could have been paid to forcefully exercise – that’s smart planning…but alas – this girl loves her cookies and milk (and really doesn’t enjoy exercise). I watch this person post muscle after muscle shot and think to myself,  where? Where are they hiding the other 3%?

I hope to one day maybe need such items as four freezers I guess, that means that my family has quadrupled and everyone is coming home…but I also look at posts from other friends and acquaintances and see other over-the-top surplus purchases or behaviors and it keeps me wondering (not judging) why do we go over the top. When is it enough? Why do we always go to extremes?

We often feel the need to justify: we fill our lives with goals or food or extra stuff because it makes us feel good and when we look back and reflect we feel we’ve accomplished something. The most hot dogs eaten in under a minute guy. The over 50 fastest marathon runner. The lady with the most cats. The girl with the longest hair. The social media guru with the most likes. It’s how we define ourselves.

Create healthy goals.

Keep yourself in check. 

Be realistic. 

Stay within your budget.

Those are my thoughts and helpful life-tips – but then…there is this. #lessonlearned for today.