Posts Tagged ‘clear your clutter’

When my growing girls flip flopped between the comfort of playing with dolls and then reaching out to try on lipstick, my view was compassionate amusement.

Now I am the one flip flopping and I am not feeling particularly compassionate, or amused.

Today I am flat out blue. One of those girls is leaving home to start a life in Washington, DC.

She is determined, lovely, eloquent and brave enough to have made the decision without having a job. All this while friends have been telling her she was foolish.

Well everyone has their opinion, what I know is that we respect people who take chances, go ahead, and believe that it will work out, and it has; and all my pride is not banishing the blue.

So why am I so blue? This daughter has not been in the house for more than a month at a time for the past four years. Recently graduated from college, she has been home for five weeks, just the two of us, and the dog and the cat.

I have more time now. I am not doing the drive bys (this is where you are in such a hurry to get to your appointment, you leave your kid somewhere and then call on the cell phone to make sure they got in). Yes, I was often a crazed single-parent.

For five weeks I have enjoyed folding her laundry, feeding her, hearing about her day. I like all of that, but seriously. I need to dig deeper. Do I feel guilty? Do we parents ever do enough? Am I afraid I won't have enough going on when she is gone? (If you know me, you are laughing here).

I did not cry when either daughter went to kindergarten or college, and I always make jokes about the way mother eagles push their young ones out of the nest and they either make it or Not! Today I cried after I dropped her off at work.

This blue is another curtain closing on my role as Mom. It is another nail in the passing of youth. I can deny the unease of touching my toes, by not trying, but it is impossible to deny that the flipping between busy-Mom and free-Mom is ending.

Does this make me a crone? I love crones, but I am not ready to be one; the title is still for other people. I love being a Mom.

To make matters more intense, I have been sorting family pictures.

Part of this transition is a craving for order. The feng shui consultant has come and gone, and I have projects. I want to enter the next phase peacefully and free of any clutter.

Whew, I do feel better. It is ok to flip flop between happy, sad, and proud.

I did the best I could do, and eagle moms are smart, so out you go girl! Tomorrow, I am buying all of the girls in my family new lipstick!

For the past two days, I have been a flurry of activity. After the snow…after the sledding….after the holidays…after the wonderful company…after all of the baking…..after the homemade ravioli with creamy saffron sauce that made me utter, "OH, I want to leave this world with olive oil drooling down."

Yeah, I said that. It was all so much fun, but now I am ready for the New Year. I want all of the decorations gone…………..piles gone……..and what is in my refrigerator?????

It is time to dust off the juicer!!! As I go through the house with a BIG Box asking the question, "Do I love this?" If the answer is NO. Out it goes.

I want to be surrounded with what I really like. Think about it, do you want to take care of STUFF you aren't so crazy about?? Well, maybe you do. That's OK.

The dog and cat are hiding from me. They are in luck. Goodwill does not take animals. Actually, I really, really like them, well actually, I like one of them more than the other one, but I like them both enough. They can stay.

As the old goes out, the new comes in. The sales have been incredible and I want to fill the coffers of the retailers I like. Even the ones I am not so crazy about, did nothing to deserve being in a city, where the average person could not "just go" shopping for almost two weeks. AAAHH………So it is new socks..new foundations….new turtlenecks….new…. I don't have to tell you everything!!!!!

And as I am scurrying and fussing, I remember to be grateful I am not living in a tent, or in Kansas in another era in a sod hut.I am making a special pile for Tent City. In fact, one of my dear clients is very involved with Tent City, which, as you may or may not know, is for the homeless, and is perpetually homeless.

What does not change so much is what is needed. I have a nice pile of things for Tent City at my office in Fremont and I will KEEP this pile going until after the inauguration.

Following is a list of what would be appreciated. Encampment Needs: – non-perishable food – hand sanitizer – dish detergent – garbage bags – paper plates, plastic utensils – toilet paper – batteries – - A, AA, AAA, C, D – Vitamin C, First Aid Kit – Warm Clothing If you are really nice, I will come pick it up or you can drop it at the office. Just call me first, 206-941-1287.

Be well as you sort through Your STUFF, and decide what is enough is enough is enough!!