A year later I did it again.
This past November, my sister and I had a garage sale.
Somewhere in there I decided that my kids didn't need so many toys.
But then there was Christmas 2014, and two birthdays, crafts brought home from school, hand me downs that seemed too good to pass up, party favors. The stuff came in.
And so once again, I am decluttering. I was thinking I wouldn't do it this year because I have done it so many times before. But Monday I packed up two boxes of toys to store. I immediately felt 40 pounds lighter. That afternoon, I spent a good 30 minutes on the floor reading with my older two because I could breathe again. I was not drowning in things. The burden of housework was suddenly....much less.
*I put the toys away while they were at school, and they have not said a single word about the "missing" toys.
We have enjoyed our Christmas and birthday gifts tremendously. The new toys are refreshing. But some of the old has to be stored and rotated. I can only manage so much.
I have this issue of idolization of order vs. having order so we can breathe, live, focus on our relationships and enjoy life. I'm always living in tension between the two. But I do feel led to toss and purge, and store.....again!
P.S. I have a trash bag full of I-don't-even-know-what sitting in my laundry room waiting to go to goodwill. Makes me giddy.
So funny - I'm purging today too. I just took 8 boxes to good will last month, but, after doing that, I see even more that I don't need. I think your point about the purpose of order - to free one up to live and enjoy life - is an excellent one.
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