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Do you still have your children’s kindergarten journals?
Do you have the dress or outfit you wore when you got engaged?
Do you have any text books from your high school or college days?
Do you own a twenty-one year old car that you seldom drive?
Do you have over one hundred souvenir key chains?
My answer to all these questions is yes.
Some of you are cringing already. You’re having an anxiety attack at the thought of having clutter in your home. Others are thinking that it is perfectly reasonable to have some or all of those items...okay, maybe not.
My husband and I were “older” when we married and had well established lives. He had stuff; I had stuff. We added three children to the equation, and now we all have stuff - too much stuff!
My mother visited recently, and as usual, got out the dust cloth to help with the much appreciated cleaning. As she moved from room to room, attempting to dust each dresser or desk surface, the look on her face became more and more bewildered, until she couldn’t stand it any longer. “I would dust your desk, but I don’t want to move any of your things.”
Do you have the dress or outfit you wore when you got engaged?
Do you have any text books from your high school or college days?
Do you own a twenty-one year old car that you seldom drive?
Do you have over one hundred souvenir key chains?
My answer to all these questions is yes.
Some of you are cringing already. You’re having an anxiety attack at the thought of having clutter in your home. Others are thinking that it is perfectly reasonable to have some or all of those items...okay, maybe not.
My husband and I were “older” when we married and had well established lives. He had stuff; I had stuff. We added three children to the equation, and now we all have stuff - too much stuff!
My mother visited recently, and as usual, got out the dust cloth to help with the much appreciated cleaning. As she moved from room to room, attempting to dust each dresser or desk surface, the look on her face became more and more bewildered, until she couldn’t stand it any longer. “I would dust your desk, but I don’t want to move any of your things.”
After a few more comments, she moved to Hayley’s room to see the mountain of stuffed animals stacked up in the corner. I laughed when I saw her reaction. I think she thought the animals were going to get up and attack her.
You’re probably thinking my home is a mess. Ironically, I get compliments on how organized it is. (Are they just being nice to hide the shock?) Of course, I have shelves and containers galore!
Truthfully, I would like to have less stuff. I give away lots of stuff, but when Christmas, vacations, birthdays, household projects, school projects, etc. come along, the stuff grows again.
There is a difference between things that give you joy and things that are useless. I’m working on getting those useless things out. Check on me sometimes to see how I'm doing.
You’re probably thinking my home is a mess. Ironically, I get compliments on how organized it is. (Are they just being nice to hide the shock?) Of course, I have shelves and containers galore!
Truthfully, I would like to have less stuff. I give away lots of stuff, but when Christmas, vacations, birthdays, household projects, school projects, etc. come along, the stuff grows again.
There is a difference between things that give you joy and things that are useless. I’m working on getting those useless things out. Check on me sometimes to see how I'm doing.
A few of my current collectibles:
I buy a key chain at every museum, airport, historic building, and attraction I go to. My husband gives them to me as gifts when he travels, and just a week ago, Kelly bought me one while on her school field trip!
The classics…I’ve been collecting since the 80s. I’ve read a few, but will never read them all. Still, I enjoy looking at the leather-bound books accented with gold, and browsing through the pages. Maybe the kids will read them.
The kids and I collect postcards. We ask family and friends to send them to us from anywhere! The postcards come from our home state to as far away as other continents.
The classics…I’ve been collecting since the 80s. I’ve read a few, but will never read them all. Still, I enjoy looking at the leather-bound books accented with gold, and browsing through the pages. Maybe the kids will read them.
The kids and I collect postcards. We ask family and friends to send them to us from anywhere! The postcards come from our home state to as far away as other continents.
Anita and Family
P.O. Box 1853
Mechanicsville, VA 23116
hint, hint :-)
P.O. Box 1853
Mechanicsville, VA 23116
hint, hint :-)
What do you collect?