Time to Let Go

About this time every winter, I start to get the bug - I mean the cleaning and purging bug. Maybe it’s because I’ve been indoors more than the rest of the year and I’m sick of looking at my stuff. Or maybe I’m feeling cooped up for too long and need to make some space. Do you know what I mean?  

Do We See All Our Stuff?

It’s time to get rid of the old…the clutter, the extra, the unused, the unnecessary. I do this with our things room by room, a little at a time every year. Or at least I like to think I do. When my daughter came home from college at Christmas, she pointed out how messy the refrigerator had gotten and asked how old some of the stuff was in our freezer. Yikes. 

I think we get used to looking at our stuff to the point that we no longer "see" it. I no longer saw how full our pantry shelves had gotten and didn't realize until I opened an organized and purged freezer, how good that felt. It actually brought a smile to my face when I opened the door!

What Has To Go?

I can think of numerous things (now that I'm thinking about it) that need to be purged. Not just the obvious things like my clothes closet and chest of drawers, but what about that spot under our basement stairs or the shelves in and above our garage. Come spring, our old treehouse/tool storage shed needs to be gone through. And what about the tablecloths I never use anymore? And I do need to tackle that pantry...

What Sparks Joy?

I know I always feel better and a good sense of accomplishment when I purge my house and let things go that someone else could use while I am not. This all may sound funny coming from someone who makes and sells home decor and goods - I have wondered if I am just adding to all of the "stuff". But if we, like Marie Kondo, only keep things that "spark joy", then I am going to keep the items around me that help me celebrate where we live and where our life has taken us. And yes that includes some of my home goods too. But the rest? It's time to start letting go.