Saturday, August 14, 2010

Turning the Page


Saying goodbye has always been difficult for me. I'm one of those sentimental people who gets attached to people and things and places. Especially houses. I have only lived in three houses in my life. My Mom and Dad's on Kingsville, my first house in St. Clair Shores, and now my house with Tom, known as McMillan.


We are getting ready to put the for sale sign on the lawn. The formal step of signing papers takes place on Tuesday evening. I love this house, the neighbors, my wonderful front porch, the memories we've made there.
It is no longer a practical place to be though. It is too big. It costs to much for the amount of time we spend there. We are getting more and more in need of a place with everything on one level. We have both arrived at the place in our life when we fully realize we don't need everything we own and have accumulated. Slowly the purging has been taking place, picking up speed in the past two days.

On Friday my friend Barb Eppert donated her time and we began the basement purge. Today my daughter Ann came and we pretty much completed the daunting task. What is it about basements? They become the holding area of all the things we can't say goodbye to right at this moment. We place them in an empty spot, a shelf, a box, a cupboard, a closet. We lower the lid, close the door and we don't look again. This thing we can't part with has now become a part of the wall, the bottom of a box, a thing we walk by and never really see again. Suddenly there comes the day when urgency demands you look. What is it you see? Something you know you don't want to move to yet another place. Something you totally forgot was there. Something someone else could have been using. So now, you begin the piles. Throw out, recycle, donate, garage sale, give away to a friend. It takes hours of your time. You are exhausted. But guess what? Even though you are aching, even though you want to simply shower and lay down; you notice a lightness in your spirit. Your breath comes easier. You ask yourself, was this "stuff" holding me down, holding me back? Why did it mean something yesterday but it really doesn't today?


I can't deny I am feeling sad, a little apprehensive. But I believe that once again, I am exactly where I am supposed to be, doing exactly what I am supposed to do. I trust that my Higher Power will support me through this time. I trust that I will be led to make the right decisions. I trust that I have Someone to trust in, if I am only open to it. I turn this page to begin yet another chapter. I challenge all of you to start the purge, feel the lightness, breath easier, live more. I am thankful for my life. I am thankful for where I am in my life. Until next time.....Always, Kathleen
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3 comments:

Kirsten from http://ComfortablyDomestic.com said...

Thanks for inviting me to stop by. I really enjoy your writing, Kathleen.

frenzykat said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
frenzykat said...

Very nice, Kathleen. You have a wonderful outlook.