Today continued the slow advance of "The Great Jarrell Family Clean-Out," otherwise known as "The Greatest Household Purge I've Ever Taken Part In."
Among other things, we moved the big bookshelf out of the music room into our bedroom, threw away another 5 or 6 garbage bags full of trash, and have yet another big pile of stuff to go to Goodwill tomorrow. Our little house is so tiny and so short on storage space that it's really taken a paring down to get everything to fit without that extra bedroom for storage.
I cannot believe how much crap we have been living with. And, seriously, I mean crap. We have not given away or tossed a single thing that we've used in the last year. Most things we haven't used in at least the last 2 years, if not longer. It's just stuff that's moved with us from place to place--things that have piled up along the way that we've been either too lazy or too sentimental to get rid of.
And, even though it's all useless to us right now, it is still hard to see it go. It's become familiar landscape to us, and it's odd to part with something so familiar. It feels like I'm losing a part of myself. Which is silly, because it's not a needed or useful part of myself.
Some things are items that we've enjoyed having over the past few years. Pots, picture frames, dishes, books.... But they are not the things we enjoy right now, so it is time for them to move on to become someone else's things to enjoy, so that we are able to make room for the things that we do currently use and need.
But.....my! Even this change is a little difficult.
Why do I feel a slight twinge of regret when I walk into our bedroom and see different furniture in there? A fleeting thought came and went that I should have taken a picture before we moved everything so that Eden would know what it looked like before we moved it all around for her.
What?!?!?
Perhaps it is just my irrational, tired, gestational brain that comes up with these hare-brained ideas. (Yeah, right; I used to be the most nostalgic pack rat I know. I think these are just momentary lapses.)
On the other hand, it's nice to get rid of the extra weight. It makes our home seem larger, and more peaceful. It isn't so difficult to find things any more (or to put them away, either.)
Still, I wonder if I've become at all obsessed with cleaning out our house. I wonder if I'll find myself dripping in the hall post-shower wondering where all the extra towels went, or rumaging though the bedroom trying to find a least one pair of pre-pregnancy pants. If we're lucky, Nate will still own all his guitars by the time we're done and we won't be missing any power cords to his amps.
Really, it makes me grateful for all that we do have. We live like royalty in a land of plenty, and everything we have is a gift.
2 comments:
I'm giggling to myself because I've always thought that you kept your stuff to a minimum because you've moved so many times and had to pack and unpack... compared to Billy and I who haven't gone through any of our stuff since we've been together, until this year when I've just barely started to scratch the surface. We still have junk in our garage and basement from the previous owners of our house. So, good for you!! Once Eden moves in you won't miss the way things used to be.
Hilary is right you know...Once you have Eden in your home it will feel really odd at first, yes, but that soon passes and you forget all of those nonsense empty nest feelings. That's what I think happens in your stage of pregnancy, you have an empty nest syndrome because your getting ready for this BIG event and a really exciting change in your life but for now your still just waiting because she's not here yet.
As far as the extra crap (I mean stuff) you are getting rid of that you never use, just remember that your belongings don't have feelings!!! Hehe! They won't FEEL that your getting rid of them :)
That's what makes it so easy for me to get rid of stuff that I really don't need to keep. However, I still do have the items that are close to me heart aka gifts, sentimental things that carry a meaning for me :)
I love you!
Abbs
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