When I started decluttering, it didn’t seem like I was making much headway. It was a daunting, emotional process! I’m still wondering what I have begun! But I hope this is the beginning of some healthy, new habits! I’m still a little surprised at how much stuff I just gave away! 7 boxes plus some items that just wouldn’t go in boxes! Now don’t get me wrong, donating is not a foreign concept to us! But normally our monthly visit to our favorite thrift store included a box of stuff. A box. One. And in the past, filling that one box was hard! Yet, we always come home with a bag or two of, well you guessed it…MORE STUFF!!! But today, when Chisum and I pulled up at our favorite thrift store and our good friends came out to help unload, it felt so good! Good to let go of stuff that’s piling up for “what if” reasons. Good to see the grins on the faces of those grateful volunteers. Good to know that our stress-causing stuff was going to be someone else’s much-needed boots. That some other child was going to enjoy a “new” book or toy. Good to know that I now had some much needed space at home. And most especially, it felt good knowing that if I didn’t do anything else right today, I showed my son how important it is to give back. To be part of a community that takes care of one another.

So if you’ve been putting off cleaning out that closet, or you have trouble letting go of something, I would like to encourage you to just do it! Like me, you might be pleasantly surprised with what you gain.