I am a hoarder

At the end of the year we will be moving down south to a small country town. I am really looking forward to the  sea change. when I think about anything to do with the move,  the house hunting,  moving into a new community and forging  a new lifestyle. It leaves me feeling an excitement I haven't felt in years. To be honest there are parts of me that are a little scared of the changes to come as well though.


We have lived in the same house  raising  2 kids for the past 14 years. My youngest has never known another house. We have lived close to family and while sometimes it was a blessing other times it felt a little claustrophobic having my privacy invaded on terms that weren't my own. The kids have known mostly the same friends since their first days in kindy. We live in a city but they went to a small school with less than 150 students, so were pretty insulated over their formative years. With the multiple hospital stays for the oldest lad we had to keep after school activities to a minimum. Moving on to High school was a challenge for the oldest, moving on to a school of 1000 plus students was  hard  to adjust to. Missing out on some times months of school in a year he struggled with the work load expected of him. Year 10 he hit his niche with the help of a few amazing teachers and finding a group of great friends. Now a girlfriend or 2 later he is really hitting his stride with his education and social skills.


We have known about this move for a year at least and each of us are preparing in our own ways. The kids have gone from  excitement to  dreading and back to excitement again. Hubby is so preoccupied with the stresses of moving a large company to another site and community.  Sorting out nervous staff issues, keep moral and productivity up for those that have decided to not move with and will be looking for new employment in the future has become a job in itself. While I have been introducing myself to the art of de-cluttering a life time.


I am  hoarder! I am the  daughter of a hoarder and the grand daughter of a hoarder. I keep everything for just in case I need it again in 20 years. Now last year I started going through cupboards and throwing things out, like baby clothes which were packed off to good sammys. Broken toys I had fond memories attached to were even given the boot. Boxes of files such as wedding preparation details and old bills from a decade ago were swallowed by the wheelie bin.


As I went on my confidence grew at what I tossed out the door. Still, My tiny house looked  over crowded. We will be buying a bigger house I will have to  fill spaces with old trinkets still after all. The start of this year I decided to become more ruthless with my  de-cluttering and filled  Mr wheelie bin several times.  Only stopping my toss out frenzy when the lid no longer shut on the green gobbling monster.


Today  the shelf at the top of my bed room wardrobe was my mission. Old Blankets folded and stored needed to be restored properly. Boxes of baby things nothing special, but Mr  wheelie was hungry. A box of vcr tapes... we dont even own a vcr any more. Burp goes Mr Wheelie, "that was tasty". Then came time to go through the jumpers(sweaters). I just scooped the lot of them off the shelf and onto the floor. coughing and sneezing at the dust that flew up I  started to go through the pile.  This is when I found I still had Jumpers from  as far back as the very early 90's. This wont do. Sweats and shawls that had been folded and pushed to the back for when I loose the baby weight obviously were never going to fit again, nor would I wear the big ol sweat shirt with the shoulder pads a grid iron player was surely looking for! 


3 large trash bags later Mr  wheelie is now full, but wait! what do I do with this old hat box. the one that has my wedding keepsakes. The clip on jewels that I wore on my shoes long since tossed. the horse shoe lucky charms I carried as I walked towards my  intended. The spare silk stockings I bought to wear if the first pair ran. Do I toss or dont I toss?


How ruthless do I want to be? It is just a small hat box after all. It doesn't take up much room, its not hurting anyone. I have a photo album full of picks that show the day for everyone to see, why do I need these  things?


I pick up the box and sit on my bed going through everything. A couple of the  horse shoe charms have lost their shape and  fraying. maybe it is time to throw it all out. They have sat there for close to 17 years and haven't  been really looked at. I pick up the pack of silk stockings the plastic cover as  started to get a little brittle and holes here and there, they will obviously never be worn. The shoe jewels the bling has started to tarnish and stain the silk white bows. I pick them up and feel over them. Putting them all back in the box except the 2 broken charms, I put the lid back on and slide it back on the shelf. 


One day I might get rid of them, but for today they still remind me of a time I was so in love. A time when I was still full of excitement but a little scared for the future and the new life we would be forging together. Then I think of our move down south coming, I smile and feel that familiar excitement for  our future. Yep the wedding keepsakes stay for now.