“DAS LETZTE HEMD HAT KEINE TASCHEN” in our American language and figuratively it means: “You can’t take it with you.”
For several years now, I have been selling “stuff,” turning items into cash to help the animals. I come from a low-income family in Germany; we didn’t have much, but we did have some very special heirlooms. Such as the cufflinks that were given to my great-grandfather by Kaiser Wilhelm.
Last year I sold them on eBay to continue financing the construction of Solace for Strays shelter. I have since sold many more items, such as my saltwater fly fishing gear, collectibles, and anything I can find, on different platforms for money.
All this really started when the war began in Ukraine. Back then, I was able to make a substantial contribution to the ” Breaking The Chains “ team. Tom and Gus helmed the effort to help the dogs in the warzone by selling my decorative concrete equipment.
I would not call myself a minimalist, but our family gets by with necessities, and to me, luxury is not important. One of many profound experiences in life has shown me the lack of importance of “THINGS”. When my mother died, so much was thrown into a garbage container. Stuff that was important to her no longer had a use or place. A lifetime of memories gone… thrown in the trash… no longer needed or wanted by others.
At 61 years old now, making it my constant endeavor to help dogs in need and bring awareness, I am simply being practical. Although I hope I can live a long life to continue this mission, with every “purge” I remind myself, “You can’t take it with you” anyway. With the money earned, I can do so much good instead.