Living Simply

I'm one of those people who can not function well in chaos. As organization gives way to mess my blood pressure peaks, I start to get antsy and I can feel all sense of calm leave my body to make room for frustration. I just can't do it. I know that I am more productive and a much saner (and sweeter) mother when I feel like the home is under control. Does it have to be perfect? sigh. Ah, in a perfect world it would be but, with four people taking up the same space, it's not likely. It does, however have to be at least orderly and "picked up". I can live with at least that much ... for now.



All of this to say, I'm on a purging binge again. I love to purge. I love to load that car, packed to the roof, full of things I am no longer using or the boys have outgrown, and drop it all off at the MCC Thrift Store. I feel so much lighter in spirit on the trip home from there. I love near-empty shelves and drawers that only house one particular type of item instead of a whole jumble of things. I can train the boys better when there is a very clear place their toys belong. I am happier. I have also noticed a dramatic shift in the disposition of Sam and Ben when there is order to their world. Ben, in particular, seems to be most appreciative of an orderly environment (I wonder who he gets that from?).



So far, we have taken 3 very full carloads to the thrift store and are just getting started. I have never been much of a pack-rat but things somehow tend to pile up anyhow. My mantra is "if it hasn't been used since the last season (winter clothes used since last winter) then out it goes." Even things like china - who uses all that stuff? I figure, if it has been sitting on the shelf all year without being taken out, then someone else could be loving it and using it (see-ya-later!). We have since emptied the entire cabinet (which now holds the everyday dishes) an entire pantry (which now goes in the regular cupboards) the bottom of the entertainment unit (now holding bins of toys that the boys can reach) and an entire toy cupboard. I love it. Our goal by the weekend is a basically empty backroom to make room for the sand and water table for the boys.



We want to live simply but that is hard to do when you have too much stuff. We want to be hospitable but that is hard to do when you don't want drop-in visitors because you won't have a chance to clean up all that stuff before they arrive. You want to be able to teach your children to take care of their things and learn to be responsible for them but you can't because there are no empty cupboards for them to put their things away. You want them to appreciate how special their toys and games are but they don't because they have way too much other stuff. You want them to learn to concentrate and spend time at a task but they are constantly flitting from one activity to the next because they are overwhelmed with too many things capturing their attention at once.

This is more than just de-cluttering this time. We are taking back control of the way we want to live our life. We are deciding how we want Sam and Ben to be raised and making changes now to accomodate that. Why are we keeping things that don't fit into the picture of the life we're creating together? Why are we allowing things into our homes that don't fit that picture? I heard a phrase "picture the way you want your life to look and get rid of everything that isn't in that picture". Well that's what we're doing and let me tell you, it feels great!