The day after Christmas is the saddest day in the kid
calendar. Even if every material wish has been granted, all of us, kids and
adults alike, find the reality of possession much less exciting than the
expectation of it. The day after Christmas the plug has been pulled, and we all
begin to circle the drain of normality. Soon the kids will return to school,
the parents to work, and the cold gray months of January and February will grind
on.
In our family, the tree comes down the day after Christmas.
(As my cousin says, “There’s nothing sadder than a tree with no presents.”) The
decorations are packed away for next year, and the annual house purging begins.
My goal in purging our home of clutter and excess is being able to access any particular item without moving other items to find it. It isn’t always possible. Another rule of thumb is that any time during the year that I hear a family member rummaging for something and getting angry as they try to dig it out, I take action. I can’t protect my husband from workplace frustration or my son from traffic or either of them from a thousand other irritations in life, but I can get rid of excess clutter and organize my home so that they can find the scissors and the tape on the first try.
As we are growing older, my husband and I find that having a few well used tools we can access freely is a thousand times better than having the perfect gadget for the job buried deep in a drawer full of other perfect gadgets. I’d rather chop a mountain of onions with my knife than move six items to unearth my perfect onion-chopper. Somehow, though, it seems we forget that during the course of the year. At least, I can say that every year, we have no shortage of items to purge. How else did I accumulate three drip coffee makers and a coffee press?
As we are growing older, my husband and I find that having a few well used tools we can access freely is a thousand times better than having the perfect gadget for the job buried deep in a drawer full of other perfect gadgets. I’d rather chop a mountain of onions with my knife than move six items to unearth my perfect onion-chopper. Somehow, though, it seems we forget that during the course of the year. At least, I can say that every year, we have no shortage of items to purge. How else did I accumulate three drip coffee makers and a coffee press?
So from now until the end of January, we purge and organize and
give away our excess to those who can use it joyfully. We affirm, in this
practical way, that life does not consist of the abundance of our possessions (Luke
12:15).
Susan, you are such an inspiration! Finding things on the first try? Wow! What a time saver that would be. Thanks for the inspiration.
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