We've changed our floors! Chaged the living room and hallway floor to hardwood, and replaced the carpet in the bedrooms, stairs and basement. Not that this is exciting at all, after our muscles are no longer sore, I am sure this will not get more than a glance. The upcoming stem cell transplant will depress my immune system, and it is important to keep the environment clean, that's the main reason for this exercise, and expense.
But here is the most exciting part for me. Umm, maybe not 'the most exciting,' but something that consumed a lot of my time: taking down the contents of our bookshelves and drawers -and putting them back afterwards! Hello - do I have that much stuff? We in our family accuse each other that the other fellow has the most stuff, and no one will admit it. Now, we have boxes of proof. In case you're curious, I am not the winner, ha-ha-ha!
Today (since 3:00 am) I had been going through the boxes, and here are what I found out:
1) My daughter is just like me. We keep old articles, save whatever paper we scribbled our thoughts on, diaries, photos, cards. We both have lots of unused notebooks, unfinished crafts, boxes of yarns, books - lots and lots of it. This is both revealing and humbling. I guess I should go easy on her - after all, she got it from me. She wins this contest hands down.
2) My husband is very organized. He has binders for everything: home budget, travel receipts, etc. No need to enumerate them here, it should be enough for me to say that I get a better picture of our family's over-all picture: financial, medical, history, travel life, loans from his records. In this respect, our daughter is just like him.
2) We are a family of readers (or would-be readers, by the looks of unopened books. LOL!) I have to accept that, and just get more bookshelves and organize them well in order to keep my sanity. Sigh! And to be resolved to the fact that two (or three?) rooms will always be cluttered!
3) Our son claims he has the least stuff in this house. I agree. But he has his share of 4 guitars, 1 violin, 1 cahone, and 4 - that something you connect your electric guitar to - forgot the name, blame it on sleeplessness - which fills up the room. I told him he has to have a bigger room/another room for his music gear. But, come to think of it, I like him to stay in his small room so that there will be no place for a drum set which he had been dreaming for so long.
4) To throw or not to throw - this is the question! I have a box of greeting cards sent to me by friends and acquaintances from all over the world. In an effort to save space, I have looked into these cards. It has now become clearer to me: I will not get rid of these hope-filled greetings that told me of the care and concern of a lot of people for me. Going through them one by one, I was tearing up again. No, this box will stay with me until I die, perhaps. They are precious to me.
Oh, being sleepless from a medication is not too bad, after all. Great ideas, deeper reflection, full concentration, having time for my devotions - I have learned to enjoy this time by now. Somehow this time helps me see what is really important in my life. It is really good!
So, wish me luck as I resolve to ruthlessly edit my things, saving only what has meaning, brings fulfillment, and has eternal value. And yes, sometimes, these things may cause a little clutter here and there. I won't mind.
