What Lies Beneath

So another book that I’m reading (yes, I read many books at the same time) is called Simple Abundance. It has a short piece written for each day of the year, mostly about living simply, pausing to appreciate things, etc. It’s kind of a nice, short peaceful read at the beginning or end of each day.

Anyway, the last couple days in the book have covered organization and caring for your home space. Specifically junk drawers. I felt all exposed reading it, as though this writer could see through the pages to the various drawers and closets in my house stuffed with stuff. All kinds of stuff. Honestly, some of those drawers haven’t been opened since we moved into the house two and a half years ago. And when I do look in and/or attempt to clean one of them out, I find myself pulling out various objects and thinking “oh, that’s cool!” or “that will be handy to have around”! Silly me. It will NOT ever come in handy. It will remain in that drawer to rot until I finally just THROW IT OUT. This is why we have Goodwill, people.

I respond well to organization. When I’m stressed or upset, my husband knows because he comes home to a whirling dervish of a wife, cleaning and clearing every surface and chair. He slowly backs away and retreats to his office until I have cleaned myself into calm.

But even with the surfaces clean, I know deep in my heart what lies beneath – the hidden places overflowing with junk. Two year old seed packets (I’m sure I’ll use them next year!), corks I was saving for a friend, batteries that might have some juice left, a card someone gave me, a broken can opener….and on and on. Even though this stuff isn’t in my face, it’s there – like the heartbeat under the floorboards in The Tell-Tale Heart. It’s pulsing and present and apt to drive me nuts.

So it’s time. Get out the trash bags and the donation boxes. I’m going in.