Cobwebs can be swept, and windows can be washed, but it is impossible to really clean the house when there is clutter everywhere. So my first task is to get rid of the garbage. It's amazing how much stuff a family can accumulate over the years. Some things may have been useful when we acquired them, but no longer serve a purpose; perhaps someone else could use them. Other things are simply in the wrong place; those items need to be relocated. And some things just need to be thrown away. It's time to clear the clutter that is distracting us from that which is useful or beautiful. It's time to jettison the junk!
In order to deal with the paraphernalia throughout the house, I must look at things with a fresh vision. As I walk in the front door, I imagine that I am a visitor. What do I see? Would guests wonder why there is a beach towel lying on the first flat surface they encounter? Must there be five pairs of shoes in the middle of the living room floor? And why is the dog's tennis ball sitting on the dining room server?
Why do I have lotions and potions in my bathroom that are nearly ten years old? Do I honestly think I will sew anything using those patterns from 1979? Will I ever get around to making some craft with that bag of sea shells I collected 20 years ago? Must I keep every box that comes to the house from Amazon? And do I really need all those little air-filled plastic bags they use for packing?
Are coffee cups so costly that I am forced to use ones that are chipped and faded? Why are we keeping that bottle of whiskey that someone gave us years ago, when we don't drink alcohol? What is that old bread machine doing in the cupboard when I now have a KitchenAid mixer and bake my bread in the oven? And how many plastic food storage containers does a person really need?
Armed with a couple of boxes, a garbage bag, a small notebook and pen, I am ready to begin. One of the boxes is for items I will give away. The other is for those things that are simply out of place. And the garbage bag is for, well, garbage! As I go through each room, I will notice things that need to be done -- touch up the paint on the front door, wash the wall around that window, look for a new area rug. Those things will be written down in my notebook. I won't stop what I am doing and dig out the paint and brushes. But the next time I work on the foyer, I may decide to work on that door.
One by one, drawers will be emptied, and only the things that belong will be returned. Cupboards will be cleared, cleaned, and filled with just the things I need. Shelves will be dusted, and only that which is useful or beautiful will occupy space there again. Books we don't love will be banished. Papers will be put away or thrown away. Shoes that look shabby will be tossed, and clothes that are no longer worn will be given to charity. Away with the mess! Enough of this nonsense! This year, I am getting organized!
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