CONFESSIONS OF A MOM

Sorry this is getting up. Lost track of time once again. :)

Last time I mentioned that I learned something about myself. Well, I’m a pack rat. Not to the extent of being called a hoarder, but I’m definitely a pack rat. I have a hard time throwing things away, unless I’m helping someone else move. Then I have no problem. :) Just ask my mom and sister.

Lately, I guess you could say I’ve been nesting because all I see are piles and piles and boxes and boxes of stuff that I just want to get rid of. So I pull get into a box and go through it finding only a few things that I’m willing to part with.

We had a Desert Industries/Good Will drop and I gathered some things. I was proud of myself because I thought I had a lot I was going to get rid of. However, when I finally put it all in the car it was nearly as much as I pictured in my mind. But in going through things for that DI drop is when I learned or relearned something about myself.

The reason I have such a hard time getting rid of stuff is because of the memories attached to those things. I ran across two little beta fish tanks. You know, the little ones you see at Walmart. I couldn’t bring myself to stick them in the donation pile because one of the my dad got me forever ago and the other I bought when I was in college.

I found a bag of cutouts from My Little Pony boxes that I remember saving when I was in elementary/junior high because at the time, that’s what I was collecting. I haven’t been able to get myself to throw those away.

I remember when Hubby and I first got married. He wanted to get a new, nicer set of pots and pans, but I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of the entire set that I had because my dad got them for me.

To some this may seem irrational, and on some leave I can see their point. At the same time, I look at certain things and smile with the memories that are attached to those items. There’s also the part of me that thinks, but I might use this/need this again someday, and if I get rid of it now, then I’ll need it. I know, I know what some of you are saying. “Just get rid of it! You can always get another one if you actually do need it.” That’s going to take a pretty big mental shift for me.

So for now, I’m happy with the little that I’ve been able to part with. Slowly but surely I’m getting through things and figuring out how to part with certain things. It’s a process, but at least I’m making some type of progress. :)