by: Joelle Charbonneau
In the midst of writing, running after a 5 year-old and
attempting to beat back this strange, unending strain of pneumonia I managed to
contract, I a'm also moving to a new house.
The timing is not ideal, but hey—when is moving ever the ideal thing to
do. The house, however, is
wonderful. We’ll have a big back yard
and I’ll have an office with a door!
Yeah, I’m pretty excited about that.
The thing I love about moving is that this is a perfect
opportunity to purge from my life all sorts of things that have just been
hanging around taking up space in my house.
Clothes I haven’t worn in years…old computers that once upon a time we
thought we’d have refurbished…6 Christmas cookie jars that have never once been
taken out of the box. (3 snowmen, 2 Santas and a Holiday Teddy Bear…um…I like
to bake, but not that much! And does
anyone actually put cookies in cookie jars anymore?)
While packing, I ask the question – do I want to move
this? If the answer is no—off to
Goodwill it goes. Hurrah! Boxes and boxes of stuff that has been taking
up space are now gone. Off to grace or
take up space in someone else’s life.
It’s so easy to hang onto things that we don’t need, but
after a while those things really do take up more than physical space. Just seeing clutter or knowing there are lots
of things you not only do not need, but do not want in your house can start to
wear on your soul. Because you have to
dust it or because you wish you didn’t have it but haven’t found a good reason
to get rid of it. Or you feel you can’t
because a family member gave it to you and you don’t want to hurt his or her
feelings. But moving is the perfect opportunity to get rid of just about anything.
And the thing is—the more stuff I get rid off, the better I
feel. I love knowing I have less. Less clothing. Less books (gasp!). Less stuff that I know I don’t need taking up
mental space in my life.
So despite the energy and time it takes to pack up our lives
and move down the street (well, not quite down the street, but not really all
that far from where we are now) I am filled with great joy. Because with every object or article of
clothing I remove from our lives, I feel lighter. Less encumbered. Delighted to lose some of the baggage that I
didn’t realize was weighing me down.
So, for all of you feeling a little blah or a little weighed
down by life – I challenge you to go through your house and pack a box of stuff
that you don’t need. Things you haven’t
used in years, but for some reason or another haven’t removed from your
space. Pack it up. Give it away and
while doing so give away some of the weight that you feel hanging on you. I bet you anything you’ll feel better when you’re
done.
***And if you’re like me and have lots of books that you’ve
read and are ready to pass to a new home—consider donating those books to your
local library. Even if they don’t end up
on their shelves, most libraries have used book sales that allow them to fund
special programs or buy new books.***
1 comment:
When I was a teen I read Sherlock Holmes's famous line about the mind having only so much storage space. That stayed with me, though I have rarely followed the advice. You're right, letting go is liberating. If we hold on to that last sentence, how will we ever write the next one?
The process of clearing the clutter is also, as you say, a process of prioritizing, of emphasis. It happens at moments of transition or crisis or change. Sort of like the flow of the plot - which was your point, wasn't it?
Thanks!
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