Dear FlyLady,

I was starting to flutter when my husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March.  We have been spending weeks at a time in the hospital, but praise GOD, he is still with us!  My house is teetering on the edge of chaos, but I am grateful that I had given the gift of a clean bedroom to us for our 25th anniversary last year, so underneath the clutter is a clean house 🙂

I was drowning in paper:  hospital bills, insurance paperwork, treatment plans along with all of my son’s paper from his senior year in high school.  Your musing about paper clutter struck me this morning:  You said that there is paper on every surface, and that usually describes my home!  Sometimes I literally don’t have two minutes to do paperwork.  So I have 4 boxen (our silly word for boxes) to put categories of paper in:  bills, school, medical and “other.”  Then, when my sweet husband is sleeping but just wants me close, I go through them and organize and throw things away.

Paper has always been my nemesis, but by controlling where the piles accumulate instead of having hot spots everywhere, and by  sorting it the first time I handle it, I have places in my home to rest my eyes.  It has been our goal to make our home a haven for others; now I am trying desperately to make it a haven for my dear, dear husband.

Your encouragement often keeps me from despair.  I love your e-mails because they remind me this is a process and not anything I will get done all at once.  Last night I grabbed my son and said, “I am so sad and depressed.  Let’s each of us just put 10 things away.”  When we finished, things were a little better.  I woke up this morning knowing I had done that, and I did 10 more.

Thank you for using your gifts of encouragement and writing to help others.  You are a blessing.  I was born disorganized in a family of born organized people who scratch their heads at why I can’t get it….It is so healing to have someone in my life that gets me!

Sorry this is so long….my heart is aching and it just feels good to be grateful!

With love,

Susan in California

Please share your Paper Clutter stories, tips and routines with me.

Send them to FlyLady@FlyLady.net with PAPER CLUTTER in the subject line.

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