So this morning, in anticipation of my husband's arrival here in California soon, I cleaned out my entire closet, getting rid of years of piled-up junk! I can't believe I just had all that for so long. No wonder I felt so stuck-in-a-rut, sometimes.
I threw out all kinds of stuff, from paperwork for various grad school programs I never got into, to old videotapes and birthday cards given to me by people I've never met again, in my life.
I kept only the most precious, irreplaceable things, like letters from my grandfather who passed away in 2007, family photos from long ago, essays from college that were some of the best things I ever wrote, etc. I ended up with a neat closet with my husband's half completely empty, free, and awaiting his possessions!
I ended up with five trash bags filled with junk, and a bag of things like books and knick-knacks to be given to the thrift store. Why I kept so much useless stuff is beyond me. Probably because it was mostly out-of-sight, out-of-mind. But, I think all this accumulated clutter can actually weigh down a person on a subconscious level, because it feels so liberating to get rid of it!
And now, on to the kitchen cupboards! ^__^
10 comments:
it's easy to accumulate but hard to rid of things for me too. now you have more room for new things.
Except I have to share half my closet with my husband lol! All that enticingly empty space ... but none for me.
Ah, well ... I do have some space on the top of the closet, so I've put my travel bags there.
GREAT post! What you said in the end is sooooo true, it does weigh us down I think.
I used to be a total pack rat, really, really bad. It's sort of how I was raised, I swear it's in the DNA, lol. But after having my daughter 7yrs ago things began to shift and I completely changed -- it's been a revelation. Granted, in some areas, like our basement, we are STILL digging out...and I am not neat by any stretch of the imagination. But I don't keep stuff, nor collect it, like I used to. It's pretty much one in, one out around here and that's made a huge difference in our lives.
Loved this post!
Aw, I'm so glad you enjoyed the post Kayleigh!
It affected me more than I realized yesterday, when I threw out all that stuff. I did it as quickly as I could because my husband will be arriving here soon, but afterwards I did have to stop and really take a breath, as it was a bit harder emotionally than I thought it would be!
But, all the bad memories from my past are now awaiting a trip to the city dump, so ultimately it was totally worth it and I'm very happy!
I did something similar this weekend but with baby items-it was bitersweet and freeing at the same time. I too kept a sort of a memory box :)hope all goes well!!
"Bittersweet" is the perfect word to describe the experience of cleaning out stuff from the past. I think your baby items will go to someone who needs them, so the positive effects of your giving them away will go on and on!
I did this after my mother passed away. I was overwhelmed from so many years of me and my mother accumulating so many things over time. My sister said something that I will never forget. She told me that I "needed to simplified my life" and that had deep meaning for me. I needed to do that in every way. I gave away a lot of clothes, shoes, threw out a lot of things I was hanging on to wayyyy too long. I Took a hard look at some of the people in my life, I did a deep cleansing in every direction, materially, emotionally, the whole nine. It was very much needed.
I am proud of you for taking that step. I KNOW how horribly difficult it is to let go of things that belonged to someone who is such an enormous part of who you are like your mother. I felt the same way when my grandfather passed. He was pretty much our dad because our dad was hardly a part of our lives, and losing him was devastating to us all. Just the other day I found the old hat he used to wear, and can't bear to part with it! But I know I must, so that someone who really needs a hat like that could use it, instead of it just lying around.
The things you love that you give away will generate a lot of positive energy, I believe, because they will be used and loved by people who would have needed them.
I love having a good clean out. Its god for the soul. Thanks for the link. :)
You're welcome!
Now I have to paint the room lol!
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