1.24.2009

Ok, I went in...

I attempted to conquer.. but it was more of a stab.  Maybe a poke.  But there is nothing super about it.

Today I have spent the day in Julia's room.  I know, right?  I have been putting it off for months.  But today I entered and walked out without yelling... to carry out a few bags of things that she didn't need.  I filled a contractor bag full of trash, and a lawn & leaf bag full of clothes.  It's the whole point of I asked Julia to clean out from under her bed and left her on her own.  It took her 25 minutes.  I told her don't sort it or anything but get it out on the floor so that we can go through it.  I know that my parents and probably my cousin Heather can remember when I used to have a room like that.  Well, my dresser still looks like that... but my parents warned Ande.  

We are in pre-move clean.  We know we are going we just don't know where and when.  It's just time.  Time to get out of the poverty mindset that we have to hoard everything or we have nothing.  I don't know how we are going to do it, it's a huge adjustment but it's something that really needs to happen.  We have been hauling around a ton of stuff for years.  I am ready to cut the ties.  Really.  

I have a thing for shoes.  People know that about me.  I can remember the exact moment that I decided that I was going to buy shoes every chance I got.  But that's a post in and of itself.  However, now I am deciding to just take the things that I love.  I want to live a simple life and not have to spend a ton of time cleaning (like I usually do... HAHA), I don't want to spend a bunch of time having to make arrangements for my stuff.  Do we really need to get a storage unit or do we just need to donate it.  I don't want to have to spend time organizing it...or maintaining it.  

So I keep saying that we are only going to keep the things that we love.  I have so many do-dads and "keepsakes", more than one person will ever need in a life time.  Some of them I love, some of them others loved enough to give me.  I have to establish some boundaries.  We have books, and I don't mean a few... between us we have hundreds.  I love books... but do I love every book specifically?  Am I ever going to reference it again?  You get the idea.

So today was the beginning.  The hoarders are going to squeal like pigs... but I am determined.  

Luke 12:15 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

So we are learning and I am teaching my children this lesson.  If we don't need it or love it, it's outta here.  So I will continue in Julia's room until it is dwindled to something that she can maintain without my intervention.  So instead of giving things to my kids I want to give them ] the ability to say "no".  Not only to drugs but the other things that will inhibit their growth.  It is ridiculous the amount of stuff we have.  I look forward to breathing... and teaching them how to inhale fully without the weight of the stuff we have.


1 comment:

  1. I'm really loving reading your blog. I hear you on the getting rid of stuff thing. It's harder, tho, when your spouse isn't on board. I'm glad that you and Ande seem to be equally yoked on this.

    ReplyDelete