When does less = more???
This is not a blog about weight loss. It is more of a reflection on something I’ve observed on my “journey to less”. I think I need a lot more “less”. That’s not a typo. I need less. I’m at a stage in my life where I feel as if I’m weighted down by things. Things I own … things I’ve promised to do … things I want to do … just, things.
Here are some examples of things that I feel may be weighing me down. We have an attic crammed full of things. Christmas decorations (boxes and boxes and boxes), old photos of people none of us recognize but are afraid to throw away, 3 Singer portable sewing machines inherited from various relatives, landscape plans for a house we sold in 1979, landscape plans for the house we built in 1980, hundreds of photos from my husband’s 38 years of teaching photography, decorations for other holidays, my father-in-law’s WWII navy uniform, old greeting cards from our wedding gifts, decorative willow sticks, spider webs, dust, suitcases, posters, …. The list goes on and on. Some of these things may be treasure but many, maybe even most, are trash.
I would hate to be the executor of our estate getting ready to sell this house. It would take countless hours to pare down and get rid of all of these things. It’s a burden I hate to think of putting onto my children. And, I’ve realized that looking at all of these things makes me feel heavy and stuck and unable to move forward freely. At this point in my life, I want to feel light and unburdened. But, that kind of freedom isn’t free, is it?
We’ve all heard about the joy of organizing and getting rid of things. I’m a huge fan of all the reality shows about Tiny Houses and I’m always impressed by how few things people feel they need. I’m not sure I’m ready for Tiny House living but I am definitely ready to stop letting things weigh me down.
For example, I realized a few months ago I had tons of leftover bits of yarn from prior knitting projects. I decided to start putting together the odds and ends to make baby blankets which I would then donate. The result has been freedom in creating these blankets without a pattern and without a preconceived picture of the outcome. Some of them look a bit psychedelic to be honest but most of them have turned out to be quite charming. I was so excited when I knitted the last leftover bit into a blanket, that I shared the result with my Knit & Crochet Club. One member was enamored enough that she asked for one which I gladly gave her. Wouldn’t you know … at the next meeting, 2 of the members brought THEIR leftover bits of yarn for me to use up. I think I have more now than I did when I started! At least I have a plan! It is nice to think of all the babies that now have or will soon have colorful blankets to keep them warm.
Part of the challenge in getting rid of things is time and energy. Part of the challenge is not having control of my environment. I have to get my family on board. Part of the challenge is figuring out where to start. I think one key will be to begin the dialogue and get my family’s input in making a commitment to less.
On my journey to less, I’m going to focus on the freedom I’m feeling as I weigh less, my knee doesn’t hurt any more and I like the way my clothes are loosening. As to all the other things weighing me down, I’m going to take it one step at a time. The cartoon below is a good philosophy on this part of my journey to less!
