I’m such a child about clearing out the old, making room for the new. It takes every ounce of strength, plus a bit of harassment by J.Lo, to defy my packrat/cling-to-everything-forever nature and just get.rid.of.it. I have basically had to delude my (true) self into thinking it’s good to own less. That I won’t need my 10th grade notebooks from Social Studies and Health class when I’m 82.
Those notebooks are long gone (I’m totally still pouting on the inside), but over the past few years, I feel that I have made true progress toward letting go of all things superfluous. The outgrown, outdated, worn-out, etc. Out it goes. The following, however, are the things I have to tell myself to make it through the weeding process:
Penelope’s Delusional Self-Talk:
By the time these clothes look right again, they will be out of style. (This could, actually, be true. But it doesn’t mean it’s any less difficult to part with some crappy graphic tee I wore in grad school.)
I’ve enjoyed this item, and now it is time for someone else to take it home and love it like the ratty-eared stuffed puppy it is.
Think of Charlie-in-the-Box. There is a home out there for every misfit toy.
What was I thinking when purchasing this item? Total crap!
Contrary to instinct, it is not true that I will require use of this item 10 years down the line. And if I do, it will probably be cracked and yellowing.
I don’t want people to dread my death one day for the sole reason they’ll be stuck cleaning out my house.
And,
Really? I have a pile of receipts from Christmas Shopping 2003?! Really.
Please feel free to borrow any of these phrases for your own future adventures in cleaning up and clearing out. And remember, a homeless person will appreciate those socks you never wear much more than you do. (That, actually, is true.)
4 comments:
I try really hard to visualize clean and orderly cabinets and junk collecting places and closets and drawers.
I think my mom and her siblings are dreading dealing with my grandma's house.
With a packrat in the genes, I'm learning to take full advantage of the times when I'm actually in the mood to purge and get rid of as much as I can stand.
And I look at it as a process. Something's got to go with each sweep, and something else will go the next time.
It's definitely a process... certain items are suited to certain phases of one's life, too. That helps me talk myself through it, justify, etc. :)
I'm sometimes glad there are no basements around here. More storage space to fill up!
Sometimes you just need to find one thing to part with. You can toss another thing next week.
Post a Comment