Those of us of a certain age remember The Byrds song, “Turn, turn, turn.” It was based on Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Basically, there is a time for everything under heaven. Downsizing is based on verse 6b, “a time to keep and a time to throw away.” For us, that time came three years ago when we decided to move to Webster. Our primary reason was to be nearer to our children and grandchildren. Also, our four-bedroom house in Baldwinsville had become too large for us to handle. We didn’t need all that room. You don’t have to move to start downsizing. You can think of it as decluttering. But I must admit that moving to a smaller place was a good motivator.
Why do we have this? Do we need that? Do we have room for this? These became the questions of the day. Some of us are collectors (like Mike and his memorabilia). Some of us are legacy guardians. Believe me when I say that the kids typically don’t want most of the things that we are saving for them! Then there are the save-it-for-someday people. What happens with these people is that you have so much “stuff” that you forget what you have and go out and buy it again!
Keeping these things in mind, we went through everything methodically. It was amazing what we found! I even kept the appliance that my daughter wore to stop thumb sucking! What was I thinking? It was very hard to let some things go. But after three years, I haven’t missed a single item.
I’m not going to tell you how to downsize. There are plenty of books for that. Marie Kondo’s method of “does it bring you joy?” was not used by us. Like that meme on Facebook, my bathroom scale would be the first to go!
The whole experience gave me a feeling of relief. It was like all that “stuff” was weighing me down. Now, I spend less time in maintenance of my things like repairing, cleaning, managing, organizing, storing and replacing. Spending more time with God, my family, and friends is way more satisfying. Give it a try!
Submitted by Judy Arendt