Letting Go...

We are in the midst of getting our house ready to sell. Wow, how did we accumulate so much stuff from our last move which was only 10 years ago when we moved from New York to North Carolina? It has been a very freeing experience getting rid of “stuff’. As I go from room to room, I toil over what to save and what to toss, but when I am done, I feel relieved to have less things around us. My dear niece helped me to sort, pack and transport so many items including: vases, handbags, clothes, dishes, etc.. We actually got to the point where we removed more things than we kept. In the end, it felt good “letting go.”

Some people have absolutely no problem with keeping their space uncluttered. In fact, minimalists reduce their environment to have only a few things. On the other hand, hoarders struggle to let anything go, making their space almost unlivable. Most of us, fall somewhere on the spectrum between these two extremes. I like to have a balance of special items that have meaning to me, such as my mom’s teapot and my dad’s milking pails. But I also enjoy open and spacious areas. Sometimes your eyes need a visual rest which also gives your mind a break too.

So how do I find just the right ratio of what to keep and what not to keep? To be honest, I have found having Parkinson’s has helped with me this decision-making process. I simply do not have the energy to keep up with moving a lot of stuff when cleaning the house. The less things I have around, the better I am able to do dust, vacuum and wash the floors. In order to make my life easier, I am “letting go.’