For Every Season

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:…A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 6)

As I navigate through the foreclosure mediation process, I’m also doing a bit of “weeding”. Not in the garden, but in the house.

You see, it’s gotten a little overwhelming here. First, I have my own belongings. And, as these things go, those belongings tend to grow over time. A good “weeding” at least annually is never amiss even under every day circumstances. But we’ve grown a bit beyond the ordinary household clutter…and, being overwhelmed, I’ve gotten remiss even on that annual “weeding”.

A friend of mine lost her home to a divorce. As her ex-husband put her and their teenage son out on the streets, she asked if she could store some boxes of belongings at my place until she had a new place to live (I had offered them a room here but, she wasn’t comfortable with that, fearing it might harm the friendship down the road). That was 10 years’ ago. She has never come over to claim these items and the phone number I have for her is now out of service.

Then Mom moved in with a van full of boxes and totes of things. She loves clutter. If there’s a bare patch of table nearby, she’ll find another figurine, bowl or vase to fill it. I knew this and, when she first moved in, I told her she could put up as many knick knacks in her room as she wanted (I gave her the master bedroom). If she needed more shelves, we’d comb a few yard sales to find them, or visit the local box store. But I wanted to keep the common areas of the house to a minimum as I find too much “stuff” stifling (unless it’s a pile of books, notebooks and pens…(sigh)). I didn’t mind a few favorites in the common areas, as I wanted her to feel at home, but somehow an overwhelming array of knick knacks still found their way into the kitchen and living room, along with afghans and throws and various other dust collecting entities. To the point that it’s an all day project just to dust a few shelves. At least a couple of times a year, a new cat bed, blanket, climbing “tree” or scratching post gets delivered through Amazon. And, as another friend moved out of her home, a lot of what she was “weeding” out found its way here after Mom helped out with myriad yard sales along the way.

Then my Aunt Marjorie passed away. I have boxes and bags of her belongings here, too.

So, you see, we have four separate households crammed into one.

I’ve been collecting empty boxes for packing. I’ve also bought a package of boxes from Staples. I’ve been packing away those few trinkets that I truly love (I do have a few). If we have to move, I will be one step ahead of the game. The rest will go in my own yard sale. I was gunning for Labor Day, but I think it’ll be more like Columbus Day weekend instead as there is just too much to get ready in only a few weeks’ time.

Though this process is a little overwhelming (how did I get so much stuff???), to be honest, it’s actually a little cathartic as each little box packed frees up that much more space. There’s something to be said for minimalism. I’m not sure Mom would agree…and I really do have a fetish for books, pen and paper.

May God bless you & keep you!