Attitude. The most important element of the down-size/change-your-life movement is your attitude. It starts off like the water lapping at the shoreline, increases to waves you can body surf on and end like a tsunami. Start with the closets. We all have a variety of closets with different clothing elements. We have a coat closet. The everyday wear closet and then a variety of prom dresses (really?), out of season clothing, clothes you will fit into some day and closets filled with monsters!
You are always surprised when the moment hits to “clean the closet”. It is usually when you are on deadline to get something else done and you have a brilliant idea to detour right into the clothing abyss. Before you know it your home looks like a cross between someone going on a very long voyage with many costume nights involved and preparing for the big donation sale at The Salvation Army. What happened? Who do these clothes belong to? Do I really shop at Forever 21?
At the end of a very long and sometimes tearful day, you have filled 13 bags to go right to the donation box. Put everything else into the closet and pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Two weeks later you rethink the first go-round. Let’s take another look. And so begins the crescendo that ends in a couple drawers of clothes and ½ a closet with your everyday wear. Now we’re getting somewhere.
Year books. Baby books. Coffee table books. Photo books. Really? Who collected all this. Haven’t looked at the year books in years…..trash. Keep the essentials and toss the rest. This is getting easier and even a little fun. Photos took the most time. Disassemble every book and album. Put the photos in piles of who they are and pare it down. How many pictures do I need of my dad’s second cousin’s wife on the crazy side of the family? Now I am down to four shoe size boxes with a lifetime of family photos and memories to enjoy.
We are onto crystal, china, sterling silver, collectable arts and other treasures. Nobody wants them. We enjoy them for years of family, entertaining and fun and now we want to go lightly into the world. No baggage. Just fun and games, remember. Our kids don’t entertain and they have this living life less encumbered and easy to move lifestyle down to a science. We can learn from the younger generation.
After several referrals and calls I happened on to Jim Konoske. If you have anything worth selling Jim can do it. Knowledgeable, honest and kind. My new best friend. He takes the things out of your house, shops them around to a variety of auction houses and sends you a a a check.
After some discussion the kids will take a few things with a gentle reminder to not make a “family treasure” into an albatross. We get bogged down with the history of an article instead of what really serves our lifestyle. I love to remember my grandmother from a vase I have sitting on the counter….but not the 350 lb. church organ that moves with you from home to home. Enough.
All that’s left is selling the house, packing up the few items you are taking with you, calling the cleaning crew to remove the detritus of your life out of your home and then the call to the moving company.
What happens on the other end is definitely the ongoing chapters of our moving on life. Stay with us for all the news and laughs along the road.