We are not a family with much clutter. It isn’t that we’re always spic and span–that’s just for photos. We probably have less clutter than most families, not because we’re unnaturally neat; it’s primarily because clutter is a visual stressor for me.
Are there unmade beds? Lately, more often than not.
Are there dishes in the sink? That depends on whether Meredith is up yet or not.
Are there flip flops tucked up under the ottoman, tables and chairs? Frequently, yes.
But there are not a lot of knick-knack, paddy-wacks waiting around to collect dust. Things tend to get put away more often than they don’t. We don’t have “collections”; well, except for the swanky swigs from my childhood–they are tucked away safely in the attic waiting for the day when I can display them on glass shelves in our future kitchen window.
So, when I think about faithsizing our family, I think about what to do with the big things (furniture) like our King Size platform bed in our bedroom. We think of the 43-year-old couch and matching ottoman sitting in our living room that desperately needs replacing. Imagine a wool sofa that has more pills than Walgreens, and half a dozen puppies have used as a teething block; THAT is our couch. We think of the cheaply purchased kitchen table and chairs that we bought 17 years ago at Oak Express; chairs with seat slats that separate just enough to pinch our butt cheeks in the most painful of ways.
As I peruse the closets with the mindset of keep, sell or give to others, I’m often amazed by what our family, one who does not accumulate, CAN accumulate over a span of five years.
Tomorrow we clean and take photos for the house listing.
Friday, our realtor, Cathy, delivers the paperwork and walks through the house with us. Soon thereafter, our house goes on the market.
This house.
I have mixed emotions, but that “mix” percentage is something like 25/75, weighing heavily on the side of relief.
We will spend less, but we will “be” together more.
Our family is in the midst of a life journey together and oh, what a blessed journey it is.