QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”

~ William Morris ~

                                                    Famous 19^th century designer

I couldn’t have said it better myself! I have tried to express this sentiment repeatedly to different members of my family who I consider to have ‘hoarding’ tendencies. I seem to be in the minority, at least in my family, when it comes to attachments to ‘stuff’. I don’t get it. What possible good can come from closets jammed with clothes, shoes, accessories, (some decades old) that are never worn, or cabinets so cluttered it becomes hazardous to open them. What need does holding on to useless items fill for some people? It is beyond my comprehension.

My husband, who will save and store anything, believes that I am the one with the problem. He claims I am ‘obsessed’ with cleaning and organizing closets and cupboards. It is true that I find pleasure in this process, and I have been known to get rid of items that turn out to be needed again soon after. However, when my life feels confusing and out of control, purging my clothes closet or pantry of unnecessary items soothes and comforts my anxiety. The comfort is renewed each time I open the doors of these newly organized spaces.

This has been an ongoing battle in my marriage for 37 years, what to keep and what to throw out. We (mostly me) compromise and he has his spaces to store (hoard) his stuff, stuff that will never be used or even looked at until our kids are burdened with the job of sorting through it after we pass on, like we had to do when our parents and grandparents passed away.

Along with Mr. Morris, I truly believe a person’s life is improved by lightening the burden of excessive stuff. Life is in fact a journey, and the journey is much easier with a lighter load.