Clearing Out the Junk in Life

Oh wait, this post is really about clearing out the junk in my house. But something quite freeing happens inside myself when I  begin to see open spaces in my home where clutter once was. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a clutter-type person. You won't see piles of miscellaneous stuff stacked up on surfaces or in corners in any room except for closets. I like to keep stuff cleared away.

But even so, it's been awhile since I took a good long look at what we own and provide space for. After awhile, you don't even see the stains and rips on the beloved chair, you only see the chair you and your daughter like to sit on squeezed in together. My son, home on Spring break, took one look at said piece of furniture: "Mom, this is looking really bad. Why do we still have this broken down chair? Want me to take it out for you?"

So far the chair has disappeared, a huge dresser I've had since 1972 (which was used when I got it), old toys from when my kids were little, zillions of books nobody wants anymore, clothes that have seen better days. It's all hauled off to the Deseret Industries. They take everything, how wonderful. Some of it they sell locally in their stores, some of it gets tossed right into the dumpster, a lot of it is shipped overseas to third world countries.

I'm on a roll. It feels great to get rid of all this stuff I won't miss. Every day I look around and think, "What can I get rid of today?" It's awesome. Today I'll be sorting through my own clothes, getting rid of anything that no longer makes me feel attractive. That will be my criteria-- does this make me feel attractive? yes or no. I'm pretty sure I'll get rid of more than I keep. And then it will be time to go shopping. Ha!