I blogged a few weeks ago about not having time to start spring cleaning. Well, I’ve started—a couple drawers at a time. My biggest accomplishment was going through the walk-in closet in the basement and tossing out old clothes.
Okay, I can’t fit into the clothes any more. Or they were so old and depressing. However, as I folded and put them into the cardboard box, I thought about the times I wore this shirt or that pair of slacks. I was younger and thinner back then. But I’m not saying life was better. Just different. I’ve moved forward. Accomplished more things. Acquired more grandchildren.
So I gathered one trash bag full of shirts and dresses and a box full of pants, jeans, and slacks – all one or two sizes too small. I carted them to church this week to make a donation to the poor. When I delivered them, I told the receptionist getting rid of so many things made me a little sad. She laughed at me.
It’s liberating, she said, to clean out and toss out. She told me her husband always said that you regret giving something away until you walk out the door and leave it behind. I thanked her for helping me with my donation and turned on my heel, heading to the car.
Guess what? I didn’t feel so bad about getting rid of stuff. Just like she said I felt liberated.
I’ve been doing a little spring cleaning too. I’ve also added some organizing to it as well and I find both extremely liberating. It’s like clearing out the clutter and organizing the useful stuff clears out some space in my brain!