Dear FlyLady,
My parents are both passed now (my DM last April) and so I have 43 years of clutter to clean from their 1800 square foot house. I am having a BLAST!
A little background: Both parents were depression era farm kids and kept nearly everything ‘just in case’. After 60+ years of marriage AND stuff from their parents’ homes their house was FULL, FULL, FULL! There is no other family remaining to help with the house clean out.
But I have been BabySteppin’ through while FLYing! I am using your Decluttering Kit and have been loving the (what could be considered overwhelming) stroll down Memory Lane. I lovingly touch each item, pause a moment for the memories to flow, then make a decision — Throw Away, Give Away, Put Away, and move on. If it is something that is no longer in good condition I take a picture for the scrapbook and toss the item. It it is something that I will not use but has great memories and in good condition, I again take a picture and into Give Away it goes.
Using the timer has been a great way to ‘race’ myself in the process. And the feather duster is just a step away at all times. My FLY list pad and I’m So Proud of You pen are listing the new ticketed items for donation (yes, some things were purchased and never used — how sad).
One thing I have learned from this is USE IT NOW! My mother’s beautiful draperies, carpets, towels — new (when purchased years ago), still in original shopping bags, with receipts, unused — as she was waiting for rooms to be repainted or for new wallpaper to be hung. Waiting for rooms to be the “P” word. I have inherited her beautiful clothes, too small for me but lovely for someone else as they have been donated to our women’s shelter. 2 sets of her beautiful china are NOW being used in our home, the silver too! We are enjoying some of her furniture too. We are not waiting for “P”, we are using it NOW.
Towels headed to the local animal shelter. Kitchen, bath, and bedding items to the women’s shelter. Furniture to our church which provides apartment set-ups for newly single mom’s.
The thing I am learning from all of this is: LIVE NOW!!! Don’t wait for everything to be “P”, it may never be (it certainly wasn’t for my mom)! Enjoy THIS moment! Love my family and friends and suck every precious drop of joy and peace from life NOW! In spite of my house being far from “P”, as I work with my routines and keep BabyStepping I am still FLYing! It is a journey, not just a destination to some day reach, of peace and joy.
I am blessed as I was able to spend MUCH of my time with my mother the
past few years, and I had the privilege of having her in our home for her last few days. What an awesome blessing it was to serve her through the years. Such precious time and memories (including visiting you in Brevard!) Pictures galore for our 2yo DS who remembers his “Gramama” and wonderful memories for us all!
Because of YOU, lovely FlyLady, I am FLYing through this time of tremendous loss with peace and joy as I FLY down Memory Lane. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for the lessons which are serving me through this time. I am so very grateful (sitting here in purple puddles).
None of us knows the number of our days. But we have the power to live in the here and now, to make the most of every moment we are given. My family and friends are precious and my routines allow me to spend more time truly blessing them.
FlyBaby M in Oregon
FlyLady here: I send this FlyBaby my sympathy on her mother’s passing, I am delighted we were able to meet when they visited Brevard!
So many times we receive letters from FlyBabies who ask where to start when it is time to clear out the family home. This FlyBaby has shared a wonderful way to do it!!!!
This FlyBaby took a walk down memory lane, kept the things that she
wanted to keep, and realized that we should use the things we have
and love. Don’t ever wait for the “perfect” time or room to use your things.
