I went shopping on Friday with my daughter and it nearly made me sick! I kept thinking of all the things at my house and how much I want to downsize and clean out the clutter. I couldn't justify buying anything else to add to my already bulging house. I blame my mother.
This is one of many beautiful antique pieces of furniture I had to practically give away at my mother's house. I sold it for $125. Which turned out to be the common theme of my week there.
Give it away.
I had so many favorite items that I wished I could bring back home. This old oak hutch made it into my hubby's backseat.
The experience of having to clean out my mother's life in a little more than a week was pretty traumatic. I know that I will never be the same. Not regarding losing her and certainly not when it comes to STUFF!
If I were to speak honestly about the situation and I really can't do anything except that….I'd have to label my mother a hoarder. Her house was so full that when we left it on Saturday night at 11:00pm after selling her belongings all week plus 2 huge yard sale days, it was still full of stuff. Good stuff. Some of it items that I wished I could have. I'm sure that I sold over 12 beautiful cake plates with lids. Each spot in her house was decorated and her storage room was so packed up it went from the floor….to the ceiling. The ceilings were 12 feet tall, by the way.
Behind all that clutter is a ton of good stuff. Furniture, photographs, more dishes than a neighborhood might need and Christmas decorations. Plus anything else a person might want or need ever. Seriously!
People came from everywhere. She knew everyone and each person that came in would say how much they admired her taste and that she always had the most beautiful things. They also shook their heads and said, "Oh my, YOU have your work cut out for you!". What most of them didn't know was that we had been working, day & night for the whole week. The house was small but it held enough furniture & collectibles to satisfy a few other families.
It was probably the most stress I've felt in a long time.
I realized what this stuff must have mattered to her. It was her life. This is what made her happy. Every antique cup & saucer, each beautiful piece of china and all the beautiful furniture, this is what made her feel safe. She was most comfortable with "stuff". That's not always a bad thing, really. Except, that I knew her. She only displayed it all. She never used a single thing! The multiple sets of dishes (16 place servings in each), the cabinets full of very fine china and enough Christmas decorations to beautify several homes made me physically sick.
This is a glimpse of what was left late on Saturday afternoon. It was at this point that we had to stop. I called in an auction guy and he bought all that was left in her house for $150. I wanted to cry but I was too dang tired to bother.
I'm convinced, STUFF WILL KILL YOU!
Stuff will rob you. It will take your peace away and leave you with an overwhelming feeling of anxiety! No one can be happy with that much stuff cluttering their life. I know for certain, no one is happy having to get rid of it all in just a few short days! Especially in the boiling hot Florida heat.
I brought back home some special items from her house. I tried to be very picky and extremely thoughtful in what I chose. The whole situation bothered me so much. I couldn't take anything that I knew I wouldn't use. I refuse to live like that. I watched my mother live a lifetime of holding onto stuff so tightly that she never enjoyed it for what it was.
The lesson for me is to only have what you love and plan to use. Then use it!
What we can all learn?
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