Downsizing

When you have a large family, you accumulate a lot of things!  Furniture, toys, books, bedding, housewares, clothes...everything it takes to make a family comfortable.  As the kids leave, they take their belongings with them (hopefully!) but there is still much left behind. 

And one day you look around and realize you no longer need eight sets of twin sheets, dinnerware for 20 people, endless children's books, toys and school supplies.  You know you don't need them but it's still hard to get rid of them.

I've been spending the last few months trimming down our possessions and it's not an easy task.  Many things have memories attached to them.  Other things don't have sentimental memories but were expensive or are still useful or might be needed someday by one of the kids.  I had to put that thinking aside and be realistic.  If I no longer needed something, there is someone, somewhere who might be able to use it.  It does no good packed away in a box in the garage.  That made the job far easier to accomplish.

Downsizing is actually a good thing.  You're clearing out what no longer is useful and making room for what is important in your life now.   I'm keeping the keepsakes and sentimental possessions but the extra stuff is finding new homes elsewhere.  It's a liberating feeling!