The Struggle of Letting Go...The Tale of a Cable Drum on the Beach

Do You Get Attached to Inanimate Objects?

I do. Maybe that's why I feel like I’m in a perennial state of decluttering and reshuffling my things. It's funny because we're not supposed to get attached to material possessions, right? But after 20 years of travel and collecting mementos from those adventures, it’s hard to let go.

Moving: The Perfect Time to Declutter?

Everyone says moving is the perfect time for a big clear-out. And while I agree, this move has been different. We've combined three homes- from here and overseas—into one, and I didn’t want to part with too much before seeing how everything would fit in the new place. I’ve made that mistake before, like when I quickly sold a beautifully unique second hand piece of furniture during last year’s holiday home clean-out. I instantly regretted it, realising it would have been perfect in our new place.

The Story Behind the Cable Drum Table

Recently, we were making the final push to clear out the last of our old home, which is now in the hands of its new family. It’s always the hardest, deciding what to do with those last few items. And then there was the table.

But not just any table—a cable drum, upcycled into something unique. This particular table has a story that’s as unique as it is. It was once a cable drum that washed up on the beach at K’gari Island (formerly Fraser Island). My friend saw its potential and convinced her husband to bring it home in their car. The drum was waterlogged entirely, and its weight did a number on their car's suspension—they had to replace it afterwards!

Transforming Trash into Treasure

Despite the hassle, my friend’s vision transformed that sodden cable drum into two coffee tables: one for her, one for me. This table was the centrepiece of our holiday home’s living room, where guests often commented on its uniqueness. It symbolised creativity and resourcefulness, a testament to turning something discarded into something beautiful.

A Tough Decision

But when we had to quickly offload furniture from that home last year, I couldn’t let go of the cable drum table. Our small house didn’t have space for it, so it became an outdoor table, weathering the elements near our bonfires. The rain warped it, and it grew fungi, but this only added to its rustic charm.

With the new owners moving into our old home, I faced a tough decision for a nostalgia addict like me: keep the table or let it go. Mentally depleted from the months-long moving process, I finally put it on the curb with the other items up for grabs. I posted on Facebook but didn’t answer any messages—it was first come, first served.

The Cable Drum Table Finds a New Home

Today, I went back to check the house and see if anything was left. The cable drum table was gone, and I felt a twinge of sadness. I had secretly wished I could share its story with the new owner but figured it was just a fleeting thought. But then, as if by fate, I found a note in the last box I was about to toss into the bin.

I called the number, and to my surprise, the new owner answered. She had driven 40 minutes after seeing my post and was worried the table would be gone before she could return with a more suitable vehicle. She told me how thrilled she was to have nabbed it and how she couldn’t wait to restore it. She said of her plans to restore and stabilise and how in love with it she was. She was even more excited when I shared the table’s story with her. It felt like the table had found its perfect new home.

Letting Go Without Losing the Memory

Letting go of something meaningful can be challenging—whether it's a piece of furniture with a story or an item from a loved one who’s passed. It’s hard not to feel guilty about parting with such items, but this experience has shown me that letting go doesn’t have to mean losing the memory. Instead, it can be a beautiful way to pass on a piece of that story to someone else, allowing it to continue in a new chapter.

In the end, it wasn’t just about the table. It was about recognising that the memories we cherish don’t reside in the objects themselves but in the experiences and stories we carry with us. Letting go of something tangible doesn’t erase its significance; instead, it opens the door for those stories to continue in new and unexpected ways.

As I handed over the cable drum table to its new owner, I realised that this simple act was a reminder that moving forward doesn’t mean leaving behind what matters—it means allowing it to live on in different forms and in new hands.