and I hope you will read this, heed this - and DO this!!
Especially if you are over 55-60, there is something you need to do. Start with one closet or storage area of your home each week. Sort, donate, give away, sell or take to a landfill anything that you have not worn, held, read or looked at in the last two years.
You have probably read that advice somewhere, or heard someone say it, several times in your life. I am here to proclaim that it IS good advice and I urge you to do just that.
If you are a pack rat, hoarder-in-training, or just a person who gets so sentimental over family things that you cannot throw anything out - CHANGE! If you don't do it, your family will have to if you are infirm or dead.
I am neither, but I am too old to be doing what I am having to do in order to move to a smaller home. I have spoken in past posts about being a pack rat; following in my mother's footsteps no matter how often I said I would never do that. The fact that I have had 4-5 garage sales since 1975 seems not to have made much of a dent in the numbers of things I have amassed.
I mentioned having a "mini-estate" sale recently. Believe it or not, there were over 347 items taken from my home for that sale. And I still have more than enough left for a garage sale. I am beginning to get disgusted with myself! Our 10 room living quarters will soon shrink to 5, and there is no way I can store or use all the things that have been in this house for so many years. But having to sort through it all now is really hard on my body; feet, back and brain. Added to the physical stress is all the dealing with contractors, painters, etc. such as I mentioned in my last post.
If you are not getting any younger (whoever thought up that dumb phrase?), then you need to do yourself a favor and sort out your belongings while you are physically able, and before you are faced with an imminent move. You'll thank me; of that I am sure.
12 comments:
Too late for me, Judy...I am older than you and am physically unable to do what you suggest--I'm sure you are right about this----Having cleaned out in a major way, any number of times over the last 30 years....
Now....It's just an impossible task. So....it will be up to those I leave behind, who will no doubt curse me every day while they are doing it! I certainly agree with you that people should start doing this when they are younger than you and me...!
I just had to share this with you. I wrote it in 1999 - My Closet
In the rear of my closet
live
memories of former lives.
Boxed away in crusty cardboard compartments
Waiting for me to re-find them - the
dreams, desires, decorations of my life.
Pulling them out
one by one,
I relive the events, emotions, energies
Of my accumulation.
They bring pictures to mind of
forgone friends and fascinations;
Grabbing my heartstrings and holding them hostage.
I put them away –
unable to part with them
There they will rest –
waiting until they are released once again
from their dark resting place
by me or by my successor
Who will wonder –
“Why did he keep all his junk!”
One big benefit of living in a Tiny House with tiny closets: no room for collections of much of anything!
Still, we do manage to pack a bunch into the space we have. I'm sure I'd be shocked at how much there is if I had to move.
You are right. You are right. You are right!!!! Why can't I let go? My daughter was here this weekend and she clears out and sneaks away with as much as she can. But when she ask me outright for a simple wastebasket I said "no". What in the sam hill was I thinking. Just looking around this room and thinking that should go...well maybe not...but that could go...nope...well that?.....yikes!
The longer you wait, the harder it will be.
Excellent advice.
I've been on the installment plan, taking a couple of boxes each week to charity etc. and now that I need to move furniture to get a new carpet I'm faced with even more stuff and have to accelerate. Been giving my costume jewelry away to the grandgirls and nieces.
Moving will trim the hoard but it takes no time at all to accumulate more back. I found that out when I moved here.
You are so right and I need to do that so my next of kin won't say bad things about me when I am gone.
What to do if your spouse is the one who doesn't want to get rid of stuff??
I do try to declutter by selling old stuff on ebay. But at the moment nothing is selling so I'm tempted to just pack it all up and give it to charity.
My parents have been clearing out stuff but to be honest my mother has taken it to the other extreme and thrown out all the old family photos. If I'd known I would have kept them or at least copied them and kept them on a disc. I feel she's kinda wiped out my history.
Good advice, I look around and shake my head and think it's time to move (moving always cleans out the clutter)!
Florence that was my position and since January I have been giving to friends, family, all the charity shops - but they have to collect, and the dump.
Post a Comment