By Rosie Preston
My mission of journaling has given me the time needed to de-clutter my home. There have always been so many reasons to put it off until tomorrow, but tomorrow never comes. So staying at home has given me the advantage of tackling this project, which is comparable to a weed growing in my garden.
My first promise to myself was that I needed boxes to get started. Thankfully, I have help coming today, and we will decide what needs to go to the thrift stores, what needs to be thrown away throw away and what needs to be kept.
The following three words define my dilemma. Accumulate: to heap or pile up; collect; to increase in number. Clutter: A disordered state; or collection. Denial: refusal to acknowledge, give or allow.
There was a time when I felt excited about cleaning, but so much has happened that involved new and different life changes. There were times when I chose spending time with grandchildren (and now great-grandchildren) rather than clean. I also used the cold winter months as an excuse. It is easy to say that warmer weather is just around the corner.
I have to start choosing the different things in storage, and this job requires a truck. I can borrow a truck to haul these boxes to the appropriate places, such as the library, thrift stores and city dump.
I heard the first rule to de-clutter is to get rid of stuff that you have not used in two years. I feel better just thinking about my plan. I do care about a having a neat home, and I want this to happen soon, maybe this weekend.
My bookcases are overflowing with read books, newspaper articles I found interesting, photos yet to put away and closets that need rearranging.
Then, as quickly as I was telling my body to move, I was attacked by seasonal allergies, and now I am sneezing non-stop! The pollen is horrible, and I’ve stirred up all this dust while trying to de-clutter!
Miraculously, my dear friend Lynda called to invite me to meet her for a coffee. We later strolled through the local mall to window shop. When it was time to go home, I was relaxed and breathing normally again.
It was delightful to walk into my home and realize that I’d knocked out more of the clutter than I remembered. As for the dust? Oh, well. The entire city is colored yellow with the seasonal change in the surrounding trees and bushes.
My allergies may have caused me to be miserable, but there is always fun to match the distress! There was joy in spending time with my friend. When we are together, we laugh a lot! Yes, life is something to smile about when shared with a special friend!
Keep Smiling, Rosie
The journaling book is in progress, so send your stories to rosie.preston@yahoo.com.