Way before Marie Kondo came on the scene, in fact way before she was born, I was organizing ...
As a young child, probably five or six, my mother taught me how to clean out my room. There were three piles—keep, throw away, and give away. It was a lesson that I never forgot and continued to apply throughout my adult life.
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I completely clean out my house from top to bottom every six months, and I have taught my girls to do the same with their rooms. Unfortunately, my husband hasn’t caught the organizing bug.
So, this past week, you would think as a temporary empty nester I would be reading books, taking baths, drinking my coffee in silence, and catching up on Netflix. But instead, I’ve been on an organizing binge.
This goes way beyond just cleaning out closets. I’ve been moving rugs, furniture, and brutally streamlining my personal spaces. While this may sound like work, it is actually a form of therapy. I’ve learned over the years that when I have less stuff cluttering my life, I feel freer and better able to focus on the things that are important.
I actually consider the obsession a gift. I know many people who are paralyzed by an over-abundance of stuff and just don’t know what to do about it. I even thought about becoming a professional organizer at one point so I could help others shed their stuff. This isn’t to say that every space in my house is perfectly clean and organized; it just means that when push comes to shove, I know how to make it happen.
But at the same time, we are trying to make the most of our brief foray into having an empty nest. I did pick up a book for the first time in a long time. I’ve taken a few bike rides. There’s even a chance, as I write this, that I may even do something I rarely do and take a nap.
The best part—I will wake up to a clutter-free house where I can breathe again ...
Amanda is the mom of two, a reporter for WRAL-TV and the author of several books including some on motherhood. Find her here on Mondays.