Of course you know decluttering your life is all the rage
right now, and I am on that bandwagon. I
love labels and matching containers, and being able to find exactly what I want
the moment I need it. But, it is no
small feat to have a place for every thing and every thing in its place! The hubby and I have been married almost
twenty years, and boy have we got the accumulation to show for it. I always swore it wouldn’t happen to me, I
would never collect so much random STUFF that my cupboards and closets would
barf their contents out at me in protest.
My house would never be so filled with useless sentimentals like my
mother’s. Nope! Not me. *sigh*
Enter:
children. If the onslaught of clothes,
equipment and toys for the first one doesn’t do you in, all the birthdays and
Christmases of that baby’s siblings certainly will! Wowzers we are definitely blessed! So, like many of you, I am currently working toward a
clutter free house. I’ve got my copy of
Marie Kondo’s The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up handy (a Christmas gift from my
hubby- seriously!). I'm sipping my large McD’s iced tea, and my motivation is soaring! In between school lessons and ketchuppy
lunches, I am spending my free minutes clearing out my cluttered cabinets and
drawers and hiding spots, and I’m loving my results so far. There’s nothing so nerdishly satisfying as organized
Tupperware!
What I’m also loving though, and longing to keep, are all
those useless sentimenals! Sure, there
are plenty of magazines and old baby toys that are ready to meet the recycle
bins. But despite the high of the
decluttering momentum, I am realizing that not all of it has to go. I really love looking through my kids’ art
from their toddler years. So I’ll box up my favorites. I don’t want to throw away Granny’s old
saltshaker – not just yet. It can grace
my stovetop a while longer. Why hang on
to Dad’s old glasses? Well, because they
were Dad’s. And when I hold them I can
still see him smiling under their heavy rims.
What justification do I have for holding onto these
things? I guess just my heart. Isn’t that reason enough? Aren’t our hearts worth preserving? I’m just trying to say, there’s nothing wrong
with keeping mementos that still stir your heart in happy or bittersweet
ways. Once you get rid of such things,
there’s no getting them back. So, I’ll
risk the scorn of decluttering gurus like Marie, and stow away my beloved
memories in boxes and hidden cubbies throughout my house. If you feel like doing the same, carry on
unashamed! There is life-changing magic in honoring your heart too. 😍
