We're in the process of this right now. But, we have an added glitch in the system. We will be living in our 5th wheel camper for the next few years. Setting off for new adventures. Traveling the country. Seeing the sights. Very exciting, right? Yes. Yes it is. However, we now have to clear out a three bedroom house and a three bay garage.
Not only do we have our own belongings, we have inherited stuff from my parents. We've inherited stuff from Rick's Mom. We're "holding" stuff for our children. Bottom line? Oh boy, do we have stuff!
This is where the hard and overwhelming comes into play. Making the truly hard decisions. Deciding what goes into the camper (with very limited space), what just gets packed to go to our next house (wherever that may be), or what moves on to live with someone else. Over the course of a lifetime, we gather treasures. Mementos. Things we just have to have. Now is the time to weed everything out.
I probably have over 50 cookbooks. Seriously, who needs (or uses) 50 cookbooks? But I've got `em.
Scroll saws...….at last count, we had 4. 4?? Really?? Yup.
My Dad's motto was always "if someone offers you something, and you don't have to feed it or clean up after it, take it. You never know when you might need it." He had quite the collection. We now have to clean out his collection. My Mom was a great "record keeper". A skill that I sorely lack. But I doubt I need a receipt for some kitchen appliance that she bought over 30 years ago. It's a challenge.
While this task is daunting, every box packed, every decision made is a good one.
And the treasures that one finds evoke memories from a time gone by. Artwork drawn by one of the kids. Programs from concerts, old family photographs. The list goes on.
By the time we're done, everything will have fallen into a category...use it, pack it, or pass it along.
