Yesterday, I took my lazy butt up to one of the spare bedrooms. Ugh is the best word to describe how much I wanted to do this!
You know this kitchen drawers that are filled with random buttons, useless magnets, old eye glasses and other stuff like that? In the kitchen, I have two of those drawers and they are full to the edge.
But, I have a bigger problem than those drawers. There are two spare bedrooms upstairs, and for far too long, I have given absolutely no thought or care about just throwing things into those rooms. I have tossed clothes that are too big (not many of those I confess), and clothes that are too small (not many of those either)! Books I've read sit on a dresser along with company notebooks that are filled to bursting with old filings - state tax, IRS filings, and other important papers.
But, I've been on a tear this week to go inside those rooms, and get started. In one of the spare rooms, there is a little bookcase, and on the top shelf are books for Benjamin. Armed with a black trash bag (and you know you're serious about the job, if you bring out one of those bags), and got to work.
Over time, I bought all of the Berenstain Bear books that I found for sale. After doing some research, I don't own nearly all of the books. The business was started in 1962 and there are 300 books in the series! Benjamin loved listening to me read these books. So, when it came time to look at the books on Benjamin's shelf, those books were kept. Who knows, maybe another generation will like them just as much.
What I did put in the black trash bag, were books that Benjamin had definitely outgrown. These books will hopefully find their way to another child.
I started putting clothes into the donate bag, but I still have some more sorting in the closet. Looking at the heap (oh, how I hate that word) of clothes that I've put aside for me to try on, it comes to me, and every other woman I know, that I simply don't have anything to wear! The truth is, that women like getting new things, whether it be clothes, shoes or jewelry. It's just in our DNA.
After I finish blogging, I'm going upstairs with renewed energy to again spend some more time cleaning, etc. There are, of course, some clothes that I'll never give away. When we were in Maui, I bought a yellow terry-cloth like top with the words Maui Aquarium written on the front side. The top doesn't exactly fit me, at least right now, but I'm never going to give it away. Just looking at this bright top in the closet, carries me back to Maui, where Jeff and I had a lovely vacation a long time ago. And, if you know me at all, then you know I'm big on memories - both the sad and happy ones. It's just who I am. I also know that when I'm long gone, Andrew and Scott, will not be sentimental over sympathy and anniversary cards. Or, Benjamin's tiny, tiny little Crocs! But, in a glass case downstairs, is a pair of tiny, tiny felt shoes that I wore as a baby. And, nobody will want those either.
Some of my friends think I'm nuts, and I probably am, to keep all of this stuff, i.e, junk. But, as much stuff of a different kind that Jeff hangs onto, I keep my memories in a hope chest in the bedroom. Once I can no longer close the chest, and I'm getting pretty close to that, then I'll simply buy another chest, and start filling it up. I bet you men, and perhaps some of you women, don't understand why I am more or less possessed to keep pretty much everything given to me. On the back of cards, I put the date they were given to me. My memories make me happy, it's as simple as that.
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