Cleaning Up!
Man, I've been such a pack rat the past 30 years of my life. No, it hasn't been like hoarders, lol, but still, when you go into a room to get something (like the boxes to put away Halloween decorations) and you instantly feel overwhelmed and/or depressed, you've got too much stuff.
In my case, it was even worse than that. Because I've always struggled financially throughout my married life, I held onto EVERYTHING. BIG Rubbermaid boxes filled with STUFF, piled onto old broken tables that I "intended" to repair. Add in an addiction for rummage sales....
At first it was to just have things to do, things to repair to furnish my house (which is furnished now), things to make so that I could try to make extra money on it or to keep me from eating nonstop (you know, to keep my hands busy so I'm not shoveling food in my mouth constantly)... but now, it's been something I always felt the need to organize, thoughts which takes up my weekends... no more like weeks, months even years thinking about it, overwhelming me.... yet it all just sat there collecting dust because I didn't know where to begin. I even ran out of space in those storage boxes! UGH.
So yesterday, I took a leap of faith in myself. I began let go, began to throw things out... boxes and boxes of old yarns that I will never use again, broken Halloween decorations, material I can donate to the Salvation army where my son works... I cleaned out drawers, organized the crafts I am currently using, got rid of supplies that were broken, or that I haven't used for more than a year (in some cases more like 10 years!) It was hard letting go, but it's time... AND, I also pulled all the photos of my X from my office, including the teddy bears he gave me over the years when he was making those "promises" to love me forever, and I put them in my memory box with my son's baby shoes, year books, etc. That's HUGE for me!
I'm going to finish this morning... as I walked downstairs into my office, walking right through the craft room to get here, I already feel GOOD about it... clean, satisfied, WONDERFUL! It's really starting to look nice! It's still going to need work - patching, paint, a large rug and an actual wall, lol - my projects for this winter. But it feels SO GREAT. And I can already feel my creativity rise... Because I'm moving on.... getting ready for new things coming in my future...
I'm off now to FINISH this... LATER!
In my case, it was even worse than that. Because I've always struggled financially throughout my married life, I held onto EVERYTHING. BIG Rubbermaid boxes filled with STUFF, piled onto old broken tables that I "intended" to repair. Add in an addiction for rummage sales....
At first it was to just have things to do, things to repair to furnish my house (which is furnished now), things to make so that I could try to make extra money on it or to keep me from eating nonstop (you know, to keep my hands busy so I'm not shoveling food in my mouth constantly)... but now, it's been something I always felt the need to organize, thoughts which takes up my weekends... no more like weeks, months even years thinking about it, overwhelming me.... yet it all just sat there collecting dust because I didn't know where to begin. I even ran out of space in those storage boxes! UGH.
So yesterday, I took a leap of faith in myself. I began let go, began to throw things out... boxes and boxes of old yarns that I will never use again, broken Halloween decorations, material I can donate to the Salvation army where my son works... I cleaned out drawers, organized the crafts I am currently using, got rid of supplies that were broken, or that I haven't used for more than a year (in some cases more like 10 years!) It was hard letting go, but it's time... AND, I also pulled all the photos of my X from my office, including the teddy bears he gave me over the years when he was making those "promises" to love me forever, and I put them in my memory box with my son's baby shoes, year books, etc. That's HUGE for me!
I'm going to finish this morning... as I walked downstairs into my office, walking right through the craft room to get here, I already feel GOOD about it... clean, satisfied, WONDERFUL! It's really starting to look nice! It's still going to need work - patching, paint, a large rug and an actual wall, lol - my projects for this winter. But it feels SO GREAT. And I can already feel my creativity rise... Because I'm moving on.... getting ready for new things coming in my future...
I'm off now to FINISH this... LATER!
Replies
I live in a 3500 sq foot house. When we moved in 11 years ago I thought we\'d never fill it. Well, we did! And it\'s up to me to empty it :) 27+ years worth of stuff.
I am still finding HIS crap-just bits and pieces. Guess God knows it makes me happy to throw his stuff in the garbage so he lets me find little things here and there.
Since I will probably get a foreclosure notice Dec 1 I have been TRYING to clean things out. Just SO much!! But it does feel good to purge and reorganize. Nopt htat I organized it in the first place.
My biggest block is the kids stuff-I have NOTHING form my childhhood so I tended to save everything from theirs.
Oh gosh is your story a familiar one! I began \"lightening the load\" almost the minute the divorce was final in 2007. I can\'t tell you how much stuff has gone out of here destined for charitable donations or the LANDFILL! And I still have a lot of \"stuff.\" I have to be in the right mood to do it, but when it strikes, I arm myself with empty boxes and walk through every room and remove things that no longer enchant me or that I just don\'t care to dust anymore. It\'s a process for sure.
This is a good and positive journal. Glad to hear you are making such forward steps. Keep up the good work!
Wow. I gotta get some of that MOJO for my garage.
Too much stuff. And I might be moving soon... it will all just become a huge burden. Travel light.
I\'m impressed and good work on taking down the ex\'s photo. I still have a few things like that around. I need to move on also.
Oh boy!! REading this sounds os much like me, although it sounds as though you were better about getting rid of stuff and letting go.
This is my current project the thinning out, sorting out, chucking out etc etc and will no doubt take me several months to achieve. But I definitely plan to achieve it.
Good for you for having done it!!
Me too. I\'m still in the process of getting rid of the clutter. Most of it belongs to the ex. I guess I will have to take care of his mess. Maybe a fall yard sale would work.
Congratulations...a big part of the healing process for me was in getting rid of the old and ex\'s things