The recent shedding of things in our house has been one of the most freeing experiences I have ever had.
It’s so strange, because we (Blaise and I) have always worked hard to acquire things, and we like our things. Things make us feel comfortable, safe, and happy. However, I have recently learned that things also make me feel trapped, stuffed, and overwhelmed.
I’ve always been a clutter bug. I hold onto things for sentimental reasons, for memory’s sake, or just because I like them. Every square inch of storage space (and space not intended for storage) has been overflowing in our house since about a month after we moved in. When we first moved here, we had more space than stuff, but we quickly remedied that by shopping and accumulating. For the last 4.5 years, we have had to wade through our basement full of junk, climb over mounds in the garage, and dig into closets.
Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration, but only slight.
It has been ridiculous. CDs from the late 1990s (hello Cass, meet iTunes), VHS movies that were not even that good, clothes that fit me 7 years ago (not going to happen again), exercise machines (maybe the clothes would fit if I actually used them), furniture, blankets, books, shoes, fabric, and childhood trinkets…wowza!
I have lost count of the trips we’ve taken to Goodwill to say goodbye, farewell, ke wa ke mal to our things. And it has felt very good. How much do we really need, anyway?
The kicker was my wedding dress. Yeah, as in, the dress I got married in. I gave it away…for free. It’s really just fabric…lots of fabric! Giving away my wedding dress did not change the status of my marriage, did not make me remember our wedding day any less, and did not really break my heart. It was much easier than I expected it to be.
My point is, all of the stuff has somehow ensnared me and tricked me into thinking that it was necessary and that I, in fact, need more stuff! But again, how much stuff do we really need? Not much.
I have found that perspective really helps as I make the “go”/”stay” selection on each item. I really think, “Okay, is this item important enough that I will be taking it with me to Africa? No? Okay, goodbye!” Some things I have kept for sentimental reasons…pictures, yearbooks, etc. But even all of those fit concisely into a few small trunks, and they won’t even take up much space in my parents’ attic.
If you’re thinking that you need to clean out closets or finally sort through the boxes in your garage, I would highly recommend it! I am shocked and awed by how much better it feels to de-clutter our home–our lives, really.
