01/07/2022
Sometimes facing a big clean and organization can seem daunting. The piles look at you daring you to touch them. They know you will come unglued just by looking at the mail, hairbands, wrenches, and pennies at their core. So they grow, or become abandoned and spawn children elsewhere in the house. Pretty soon the piles become loaded with emotion too. If you live with someone you can say, "That's not my pile, he/she can pick it up." The resentment sits there as long as the pile. I know, because I have tested this one out. Sometimes hubs can't even see the Haagen Dazs lids face down, stuck to the kitchen counter!
Yesterday, while prepping to go into a new client's home, I had YouTube fired up with Marie Kondo's "Tidying Up" series. I like Marie Kondo, she insists that you greet everything, and I mean everything, in your home with joy and gratitude. I knew I would take Marie's "Does this spark joy?" phrase with me. But, I couldn't imagine having the gentlemen dump every stitch of his clothing on the bed in the guest bedroom. (I'm not even sure there is a bed in the guest bedroom.)
Collectors are sensitive about their stuff. I am a stranger. Maybe I will throw a precious heirloom away, or worse, steal it. It is difficult to turn your home over to someone you've only met briefly.
I clicked on a different channel, while making some chicken enchiladas for my new clients. I figured the day would be taxing, and they would need sustenance after. While scrolling through YouTube, I tried a woman named Laura Moore, talking on the subject of "Clutter Clarity". Collectors love everything. They can tell you the history, quality, and value of everything they own. They can love an object just for being that, an object! (Speaking for myself, here.) I really like her philosophy, and if you are struggling with more than a few piles, I highly recommend checking her out.
It was a good day. We only got the first four feet of the house done, but there was a lot of sorting, decision making, and dusting and polishing to be done. Their antiques look beautiful. The lamps glow. We loaded a few boxes into my car for the thrift shop and the dump. Next time, I bring the truck.
