Cleaning the space

For those who have known me really well and have been into my bedroom they will quickly see that I love clothes.  I love new clothes, I love old clothes, I love clothes that have sentimental meaning, I love clothes that are comfortable, I love clothes that are vintage and clothes that look good and even some that don't.  Well I am starting to let go.

For those of you who read an earlier post about my painting woes this still continues but before we paint we must purge!  Yes!  Purge!  I painted my dinning room and there was not much stuff in there to get rid of.  I had some items on my buffet to sort through and put away and some papers to throw away but not much.  What do you keep in a hall way - nothing so nothing to get rid of there.  Our family room was pretty much the same it contains a treadmill, a sofa, a small table and kids chairs and two small shelves with kids toys and art stuff.  Not much purging there - but a bit of re-organizing.  I will be painting our basement and bedrooms soon so I let the purging BEGin...

I started in my closet.  I love my closet, I sand the praises of my closet when we bought this house.  It is a rather modest walk in with lovely shelves and racks and drawers for all my things.  The problem was that I had so many things in this walk in that it was more of a walk around.  I was RUTHLESS!  If I hadn't worn it in a couple of years, it was stained, faded or just plain yucky and out of style I threw it in the pile.  I had pants I bought when I was pregnant for my first of three children that I loved.  They served me well through three pregnancies and with the handy drawstring waist through three post-partum periods - done - and gone.  I had t-shirts that I have owned and been wearing since high school!  Yes high school, I am not 17 anymore - add about 20 years!  GONE!  I had skirts and sweaters from styles gone in the late 80's early 90's GONE!  It started to feel so good I went into my extra dresser.  Yes I have two dressers.  Again I was ruthless, if it didn't fit right, never fit right, and was never going to fit right I got rid of it!  If it was not pretty and I did not love it, I got rid of it!  I even discovered some things I thought I had thrown away that fit now and are lovely - that was a treat!  By the time I was done our hallway was a HUGE pile of clothing.  My husband came up and ask "what is all of this".  He was so excited that he joined in the fun and added a few things.  When we were all said and done we had 2 extra large garbage bags of clothing to donate. 

I was so excited and felt so free.  I could see all the spaces in my closet.  I could see all the clothes that I love and want to wear.  I did still hold on to a few things.  I have a sweater that is old and ratty but it was my mom's and I love it.  I have another sweater that I have worn once but it was my grandmothers and it smells like her.  I did keep a few suits because I never know if I might go back to that kind of job again.  My favorite little black dress... I honestly think it might fit again very soon and I LOVE this dress and it's matching shoes and purse! 

Now I feel ready to paint our bedroom but what colour and when.  I may even be content to keep it as is.  I now feel like purging the rest of our house.  I did a bit in the kitchen today and want to tackle our basement next.  Funny thing is, when I look around I don't see that much clutter but when I dig deep I find it.  I think the mind is very similar.  When I look on the surface of what I think is me and how I am and think everything seems quite normal and even.  Then I dig deep through yoga practice and mediation and realize that there is a lot of clutter and un-necessary things that need to be swept out.  Dealt with, managed, come to terms with and tossed.  The freedom from cleaning our physical space, can be paralleled with cleaning our mental space. 

Have you cleaned your space lately?
Namaste,
Jenni