As mentioned previously, we recently completed some renovations to our home. In the course of undertaking something such as this, you must clear out the space where the work is to be done in order to make room for the improvements.
For us, this meant cleaning out the entire kitchen and laundry room. We started ambitiously, throwing away, recycling or donating things that we did not need or use. As the day wore on and our ability to decide what to keep, toss or recycle diminished, we found ourselves just packing everything. The area had to be completely clear for the floor refinishing. We vowed not to bring back about half of what we packed.
With the renovations complete, it was now time to move back into the kitchen. I picked up a pitcher with a matching serving platter and thought, “Oh yes, I know exactly where this goes.” As I began to walk inside, I realized that in the 18 plus years that Ed and I have been married, we had never once used this pitcher and platter. It had moved to Tokyo, then Hong Kong and back to Texas, where it resided in the cabinet above the telephone and junk drawer. Why on earth was I carrying this pitcher and platter back inside to reside for another 18 years or so unused?
The set was a wedding gift and as long as the space it occupied was not needed for other items, there was no impetus for it to move on. Now as I stood holding the pitcher it struck me what a waste it was to simply occupy space in my home when someone else could enjoy it. So off it goes to be donated and I know that someone else will see it and admire it and take it home and use it.
This simple example shows how accustomed we are to holding on to things, far beyond their useful service to us. Pitching items and cleaning out forces us to look at why we hang on to things. At times that is uncomfortable, which is probably why many of us have junk drawers and closets. How many do you have in your life?