Progress on the Home Front, Choosing to Donate

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Just popped in to say that I am still hard at work emptying the house to ready it for sale.  After the garage was filled I was lying awake one night and wondering why it was I felt I needed to have a yard sale.  Previously when I decluttered all of the goodies were given to charity shops, the church, and thrift stores.  It felt good to unload and know that other people would get some benefit from my donations.

So why did I want to have a yard sale this time?  I guess it was feeling that in making this next move, a little extra cash would come in handy.  Or maybe I was trying to hold onto the past. Changes, even ones I initiate, can be hard to accept.

That's when I realized that all of the extra stressors were making me feel a little "less than."   So I decided to can the yard sale idea and go back to giving all the stuff away.

It's hard to let go, but time is in short supply and more valuable than using it to organize yard sales that might not draw in the cash buyers. Private sales through Craigslist are another option, but around here the site is crowded in that it's hard to get noticed once you are 8 or more pages deep in the day's listings and more often than not, the person never shows up.  In the end, the scales were weighed and donating it all was the verdict.

When it's all over and done with I hope to look back at this stressful time and chalk it up to experience. It's not easier to give it all away, especially with the sadness over the years of memories invested in the stuff. There are items from my Mom and her Mom that I'd rather keep if I had the space and the will to dust, but they aren't precious to me in the way the people are precious.  It's all stuff and it could be gone in an instant if a fire or tornado had struck.  Still, it's the person's spirit which endures after all the china, books, knick knacks, and so on have disappeared.  I'd trade it all for more time with them.

It's almost not funny, but the employees at the Goodwill drop off center recognize me.  They are happy to get the boxes and bags and have a little chat.  Later this week Habitat for Humanity is coming to pick up furniture, tools, and appliances.  I'll have more for them to pick up as the time to move gets closer.  

One of the tips I read somewhere was to photograph the item and then give it away.  I might try that. You could never call me a hoarder, that's for sure!  It's going to be so Zen around here when it's all neat and tidy once again.  Ommmmmm

See you soon...