Down sizing

When I was divorced a little over two years ago I found myself in a position that caused me to have to down size my living space. In less than a years time my adult children had moved out, my 15 year old beloved fox terrier became ill and had to be put down, and my 24 year marriage had come to an end. A divorcee, empty nester, the loss of my dog, and having to leave the home I raised my children in for the past 17 years was almost too much to bear, but it had to be done.

What would I do with all the stuff I accumulated over a 24 year period? To go from living in a 3800 sq ft space to a 1200 sq ft space would be a challenge to say the least. As I sifted through the years of clutter I realized that most of it wasn't even being used, and I even had doubles of everything. Why did I think I needed all this stuff? What possessed me to buy it? I guess I felt a need to fill this large house, and now I was seeing what truly mattered the most to me. Well, at least what material things mattered most to me, and it was mostly stuff that had sentimental value.

First I went through the kitchen and decided I would pack the set of old antique dishes my mother had given me that I only used on special occasions, and use them for my everyday dishes. The same for small appliances, only the stuff I would use. Then I went through the living room, bedroom, basement, bathrooms, just packing the things I would use from day to day. This was a lot easier than I original thought. I accumulated stuff Just to fill space, and now I was just doing the opposite.

Even if I did give up a garage for a carport. A back yard for a small patio. A 4 bedroom, 4 bath, family room, great room, and 2 kitchen home for a condo less than half the size. I am still surrounded by the things that mean the most to me, and it only takes about an hour to clean compared to 3 days to clean. Down sizing made my life a whole lot simpler, and now I can focus on what really matters to me in life. My family, friends, and a new life with that special someone. 

                                                   https://www.facebook.com/debbielynn27
                                                        https://twitter.com/debbielynn27