Independence Day

I haven't had a chance to really blog as much as I would like, as I've been trying really hard to detain the clutter that has taken over our household since we moved in last month. There are still sooo many boxes of items to unpack, and really nowhere to put them. Not to mention the fact that half of our home is filled with power tools, unfinished baseboards, etc., etc. I was actually starting to stress out completely {like the typical "Type A" in me}, when I started thinking to myself that there is just NOT ENOUGH room for all of this stuff! Our previous place was a "townhome," considerably smaller than this one, so I honestly have no clue as to how we fit all of that stuff there, when I can't seem to find a place for them here in our house! Then it dawned on me, that a lot of this stuff are books, papers, memorabilia, and stuff that I probably should have gotten rid of years ago via throwing them out or donating them!

As I started opening up different boxes, I started finding items that probably meant a lot to me at the time {we're talking about my jr. high, high school, & college days}, but not so much these days; however for some reason, parting with those things seemed like somewhat of a big deal! Maybe because they occurred at different phases in my life - some painful, some exciting, and many were, well just milestones in my life. The first time I went through them, a few things went to the trash, and much of it stayed. The next week, a little more went. And the other weekend {4th of July weekend} I finally parted with many things that I probably never thought I'd ever let go of...items that were neatly organized in a box, and told a story... I think I wanted to initially keep them because they were "proof" that these events ever happened in my life. Maybe I wanted to share them with my children when they get older, or my future grandchildren, etc. But I told myself that there was nothing here that I couldn't just "tell these stories out loud." So, into the plastic baggy they went, and into the trash bin outside of our home, until I was awoken that Saturday morning to the sound of the trash truck, emptying out the contents of my past permanently. I know this sounds almost like a ritual, but I think it sort of was. But I have to confess that letting go of that part of me made me feel a little nervous but uplifted, free, and independent. Quite fitting I think, for the 4th of July holiday weekend.

Have you ever had a personal item from the past that you couldn't let go of? What did it take for you to finally part with it? I think we all have memories we want to keep, it's just up to us to figure out how we choose to keep those memories. I guess some of us are more sentimental or clutter free than others...