As Seen On TV

We’ve all heard the commercial... So much stuff, not enough space...

It echos in my head. I hold on to things. They are my memories. Just like the pictures I take, almost every object I own have a distinct memory attached to it. Sometimes it is just the place and time it was purchased. Or who was with me when I bought it. Some things have been handed down or have been gifts. I still have this stupid little plastic “trophy” that I received in 4th grade. I came in second place in a reading contest. Everyone knew they wouldn’t beat the person who won first, but I was gonna try! I tried so hard that I even cheated. Yep! I keep a trophy I won by cheating. Well, I won second place fair and square but after I secured my place, I passed my numbers with reading the first and last chapters along with the back covers of about a hundred books. I could have read them but I had family responsibilities beyond my years. So, I hold on to this stupid plastic Monkey trophy from 4th grade that holds more memories than anyone should have guessed.

And so it goes.. I have a garage full of memories. I have a house full of memories. I have tried over the last several years to downsize after going through the death of my mother. She held her memories in objects too, as did my grandmother. It was a nightmare when we went through my grandmother’s home but there were a lot more people bearing the burden on the end. When my brother and I had to go through all of my Mom's belongings, we were so glad mom and I had already started downsizing her stuff for a few years. I don’t want my kids stuck with the burden of a house full of memories they don’t have.

I have met people that can just get rid of things. Tired of that blue bunny sitting in that chair, toss it.. That flower arrangement that you got from grandma Susie’s funeral, tossed. I don’t understand how they do this. Me, I sit and hold the stupid blue rabbit and think of all the memories. Maybe get out the photo album and look for pictures of the kids with it. Then I may think of the best person to care for the bunny before I ever think of donating it or, gasp, trashing it. That flower arrangement? Is it silk? Oh, definitely clean it up and take some pictures in case we want to reproduce it later.

I have a serious problem!

How do they do it? How do they just toss it? I mean, I HAVE done it before. I have gathered all the stuff I was tired of looking at around the house, had a rummage sale then put it out for anyone to take. What was left, I took a deep breath and took to a Charity. No looking back. But, really, I think it takes me much more effort to break the attachments that are there than it should.

I am thinking of grabbing some bags today and just start filling them with items that are cluttering my home. Just living dangerously. Do you think I can do it? How do you think it will effect me in the days to come if I just DO it. No holding back. No worrying about the money I could make or the money I am losing from not trying to sell it.

We will see what I do. In the mean time, that rent a shed is on its way. Everything is going in there till I can get a handle on this so my kids don’t have to deal with it all one day.