the affects of a closet cleaning...

so my quest for a simplistic clean home continues...

today i tackled one of my three walk-in closets...what lies beyond...was what i was thinking...as i opened the door to the jam packed closet of "junk"

what i realized is that a person needs to move fairly often in their lifetime...otherwise...they start to accumulate...and accumulate...and well...accumulate...

i have been in my home well over 15 years or so...and the contents of this closet showed it...

i found out some stuff about myself...some made me smile...some made me a little sad...some made me glad i was where i am today...

who knew that the cleansing of a closet could have such a profound affect on me...

the lingering task that i knew needed to be tackled...and that lay beyond the confines of this closet door...were the years and years of checks & bank statements...i spent many hours today shredding...but...since my accountant had confirmed...that all i needed was to keep three years worth...i started with one envelope...the good thing...is that i didn't have 15 years worth...but pretty darn close... =) not anymore though...so i was triumphant!

while shredding...i came across many of my tithing checks that i had written over the years...this made me a little sad...not because of the tithing...but at the amounts that the checks were...it was true evidence that at one time i was bringing in some nice cash...not so much right now...
the economy has hit my business just like any other business...and i recalled how lately i have had those moments of almost embarrasment over my tithing checks...and even at times...thinking...how could this even make a dent...should i even bother putting it in the offering...

but while shredding...i really had to release that thought process...and instead...focus on the years that were very plentiful...the years that were ok...and the years that were down right hard...through it all...no matter what the paycheck was...i was always ok...and i know that i know...that that was God taking care of me...and i believe God was speaking to me...telling me that it is not the amount of the check...but my heart in giving...

through my journey in my closet...i stopped many times to gaze at pictures of my life...first...well...i have to say...i had me some big hair at times...and i know that i thought i looked half ok...it made me laugh...i also went through all pictures that showed all the wonderful places i have had the opportunity of visiting...many different countries...and different cultures...what a blessing...

and all the pictures of family and friends...parties & celebrations over the years...always surrounded by incredible wonderful people...another blessing...

the most incredible find...in my closet...was one of the first cashmere scarves i had ever bought from an "expensive" store...it was buried amongst many other scarves and shawls that i didn't wear much...this cashmere scarf was bought at i magnin...at one time...this was the elite dept store in san francisco...it doesn't exist anymore...and i remember the feeling when i bought it...because it was one of my first big splurges...

wow...talk about a vintage piece...

i am not quite done with the closet...all that is left is the reorganization of it...and to place all my items back that belong there...by my front door are many bags going to goodwill and many bags of shredded checks to go to recycle...

what a feeling...had i moved once or twice in the last 15 years...i'm sure half this junk would not have been there...or would it? guess we will never know...

the important thing now is that it is done...one down...two more to go...

i'm that much closer to my dream of a clean simplistic home...