The decluttering continues with fervor. Sometimes these days I won’t let myself leave a room without taking a few items from it to put in the “give-away” box. Today, I grabbed two amusing sun-catchers from a windowsill in my home office. One, a pumpkin-headed figure, I picked up when the boys were small to amuse them as Halloween was approaching. The other, a red, white, and blue patriotic bear, my son bought on our most recent visit to Texas. They are cute, slightly entertaining as they sway in the sunshine, but I don’t need them or have any kind of affection for them, so they are going.
Decluttering can feel like a surprisingly spiritual process if one is ready for it. I feel like I’m peeling back layers of time as I get rid of all these things that have piled up. Away with the knick-knacks, away with the clothes that no longer fit, away with the extraneous tchotchkes of life and pare life down to the essentials. With each bag and box that goes, I feel like I’m making room for new things to come into being. What exactly? I’m not sure – but I’m getting closer. I can feel it in my breath and bones. The hazy image of it is becoming clearer as there are fewer distractions around me to dust and sort.