Day 8 – letter E - EVALUATE

You now have some of the daily clutter out of the way, I hope. I am really making an effort to keep the kitchen counter and the bathroom tidy, and the areas that I have tackled so far in the bedroom, notably the windowsill and dresser top. In the evening I try, not always successfully, to pick up the newspapers and put them in the recycle box. If I don't get that far, they at least get put in the stacking area where they can await transport.

In thinking about that last statement, I decided to check how many steps it was from my newspaper chair to the recycle box. Fifteen steps!! Wow! Perhaps with that little bit of knowledge tucked away, that task may never be left until the next day again!

I was not intending to discuss evaluation in this way, but it does bring up a good point. Maybe it is time to evaluate the organization of our major traffic areas. Are they as convenient as they could be, or do we have to go out of our way to put things away? Are our storage areas for frequently used items easy to access. I have been pondering my good dishes, passed down from my family home for at least one generation, possibly more. Right now they are beautifully esconced on two large shelves right above the kitchen counter. (There are 12 place settings plus accessory serving dishes.) How often do I use them? Maybe once or twice a year. Do they even merit room on a kitchen shelf, or should they be stored in a box somewhere? It certainly would make my kitchen more convenient.

Part of what rises to the surface during such decisions, at least for me, is the whole values issue. These are a family heirloom and as such should be treasured. Surely putting them in a box does not show enough respect. Who am I kidding? Can dishes feel respect? Really! When I take it apart and look at it logically, that attitude makes no sense. The problem is, when it comes to family treasures, we aren't dealing with logic, but with emotion.

I remember talking to my sister about this at one point, as I was feeling guilty about not wanting to keep a certain piece of furniture that came from my family home. She told me that when she had to get rid of a treasured piece of furniture when her family was moving, she spent time thinking about the wonderful memories that it held. She was able to hold the memory close to her heart, and that freed her to let the object go for someone else to enjoy. I've heard others say that when you no longer need something dear, you could take a picture of it to keep the memory intact.

“Goin' on a sentimental journey...” Sometimes evaluation takes us on there and that's OK. It may take us a little longer as we reminisce, but that is time well spent in this journey that we are on, the journey of not only decluttering, but cleansing our lives. Sometimes the cobwebs of the past hold us too tightly and we need to take the space and time to disentangle ourselves. So grab your kleenex box, if you need it. Tell yourself that it is OK to let go. As you consider an item, if you are not sure, it may not be the time to let it go. In that case, either put it back in its place of honour, or put it in the “unsure” box to evaluate again at a later date.

May you experience lots of happy remembrances as you tackle the past and evaluate the present.