A few weeks ago I got it in my head that my house was cluttered and we have more coming in than going out at this point. When you have kids two years apart, that will happen. So, I set to work at getting rid of things that just don't serve a purpose for me or my house anymore.
The obvious things to go were baby items we no longer use. Walter is a toddler, he's not using the baby swing or the pack-n-play in their bedroom (he sleeps in his pack-n-play in our room), and the clothes/toys they don't wear or play with. It's hard for me to get rid of toys though because I still have toys from my childhood that I'm hoping to pass along to Maggie and Walter. But, I'm doing it!
Next up was the dining room table. I thought hard about this one. My grandpa made it and it had been passed around for a little while before ending up with me. When I sat down and thought about it, I wasn't especially fond of it. I wasn't close with my grandparents on my dad's side and so held little sentimental value for me. So, I listed it on Facebook Marketplace and someone's grandma bought it for $200!
Now it's taking up space in someone else's house. And we moved my desk from upstairs where I couldn't use it, to the dining room where I can.
I don't miss it. It was just catch all anyway and we only ever put food on it when there was a holiday. We have folding tables for that.
I once thought that I had to hold on to things because what if I need it down the road, which is something my grandpa would often say. But the truth of the matter is that if I find I need a new dining table, I'll go buy one that suits my taste and not someone else's. I love holding on to things because of memories but some memories you need to let go of.
When I was asking my sister if she thought I should start getting rid of some of the things I was holding on to, she said yes objects hold energy and you don't need past energy in your current space. She wasn't wrong.
Next on the chopping block is the cradle the same grandpa made for me when my mom was pregnant with me. There has been much drama surrounding this particular piece of furniture and I'm not sad that I listed it.
Several years ago, while my mom was housing this cradle for safe keeping (I didn't have the space for it and I was afraid my kids damage it), she allowed her husbands family to borrow it. Why I have no idea because it's not for sleeping. It's for pictures or dolls. Even in the early 2000's I knew this. It wasn't damaged beyond repair but the spindles are out on one side and it needs refinished. I won't ever use it and it holds no memories for my children. So out it must go.
I have no desire to hold on to things anymore. I'm not sure if it's old age setting in, a midlife crisis taking hold, or the sheer desire to be rid of all the clutter that is a plaguing my house on a daily basis. But nothing is safe anymore.
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