This past weekend, the unthinkable happened.
I spent over 24 hours of my life: purging my stuff, and then pawning said stuff on hungry yard sale gawkers.
It was years of kids’ clothes I kept in case of a third child.
It was hundreds of books from my former classrooms, in case I returned to teaching.
Plates and dishes that collected dust.
Toys that were never played with.
Items that were shuffled from room to room, in case I need it someday.
There comes a time when you need that negative space.
The space to grow.
Slowly, the stuff disappeared.
The women haggled.
The men cracked corny jokes.
Little kids stole a few toys.
The men cracked corny jokes.
Little kids stole a few toys.
My pockets filled with dollars.
During my lunch break at the longest yard sale ever, I walked around the other booths, truly overwhelmed by the amount of stuff. Collectables. Jewelry. Rusty. Dusty. Crap.
Why do we consume so much?
Do I need twenty pairs of shoes?
1000s of books?
100s of DVDs?
Toys galore?
At what point, does the stuff overtake us, and life become more about managing the stuff, than actually living?
In my precious 1154 square feet, I’ve been on a cleaning rampage. A local charity calls me weekly, asking, Mrs. Lennert, do you have a pick-up?
As I went through nearly 20 bins of baby clothes, it was hard to not be sentimental. To hang on to. Because. To remember when they were so small.
I reminded my bleeding nostalgic heart that this stuff takes up energy which, takes up space, which takes up time from the present.
A present that needs to be lived.
I want to get to a point where the amount of stuff is small.
Where the cleaning is dishes and laundry.
Not the high maintenance of things.
I priced it low. Let it go.
And I became lighter.
Sharing @ Happy Hour via Craftberry Bush
{do note the irony of the post below}
Love it! We’ve been on a purge here as well, and the house feels free-er and lighter already. You’re making space for the stuff that really counts. Way to go Nicolette!
congrats! hope you sold out!! I know my sell pile in the living room is bigger then then keep pile in my room…and that makes me happy! Although it would be nice to have it all gone in one day!
I feel lighter just having read about your purge! Now let me just see if I can cram that pot back in the drawer!
It is mind boggling the amount of “stuff” that one accumulates over the years, and the need to cling to it! The older I get, the less involved I get with my “stuff”. I guess I look at the end of the road, when I am gone does someone else have to clear out all the crap? I have boxes that were packed when we moved from Maine to New Hampshire 20 years ago, and they are still in the attic. I tell my husband that we should just take them to the dump but it never happens. He’s a horrible clinger! My dad always said it you haven’t used it in 2 years, get rid of it! He was very minimalist! LOL
I appreciate you writing this. It seems difficult for people in my life to understand how hard we work on trying to simplify. But purging feels great.
“I reminded my bleeding nostalgic heart that this stuff takes up energy which, takes up space, which takes up time from the present. A present that needs to be lived.”.
These words touched my heart. I will probably post it somewhere to help me get rid of the stuff that I cling on to just because I’m so nostalgic. Thank you
Thanks, Estie…
I hope you find 2013 a simplified and clutter-free place…I also take photos of the nostalgic things…that seems to help a bit. I also started a pinterest board called viva la 80s/90s to remind me of all the things/movies/items/toys…of my youth.