Minimalism. Ah, even typing that word gives me the warm fuzzies. There is such beauty and calm in keeping our surroundings minimal. The packrats might disagree, but you have to admit that at some point we all run out of space.
Before The Big Move, there was a small time period in our London house after the movers took our belongings where we were left with some air mattresses and basic essentials to live on for a few weeks. Our home seemed absolutely gigantic with room after room of empty floors leading up to plain walls. We each claimed a room and spread our stuff and our bodies out, literally. Imagine us each in a separate room, lying down flat in a star position. Pure joy.
Removing so much stuff gave us physical space, but it also gave us mental space. It was like we could move and breathe freely again.
Now we are on The Other Side, and we still don't have our things. For me, happily. We are admittedly nomads, which on a permanent basis wouldn't exactly be ideal for us, but for now it is kind of fantastic.
We want and need things...sporting equipment, desks with proper desk chairs for back support, books to read for enjoyment, that trophy from a childhood basketball tournament, etc. 'Things' are a part of us. But when we dig deep down, how much stuff do we really want? And how much stuff do we really need?
Very little.
People spend thousands over the course of their lives on storage, only for our kids to eventually throw it all away when we die. Sure, some of our belongings have sentimental value, but how often do we think about those things, even when they are in the same room as us, cluttering up physical AND mental space?
A clean, open home is a clean, open mind. When in doubt, get rid of it. Sell it, donate it, or leave it outside with a 'take me' sign on it and place bets with your family on how long it will take a stranger to grab it. There is something to be said about the minimalist lifestyle…keep what you need, but beyond that, it is all just a bunch of dust-collecting future landfill.
I have to admit that I will enjoy access to my full wardrobe again, and another air mattress might mean the end of my back. When the movers come with our container I will probably want to kiss them from happiness about bringing us back our stuff. For now, though, you will find us and our one bag of clothes each, perhaps lying down on an empty floor, with a new sense of lightness. Until we get to Target.