Spring Cleaning

Forward MARCH! This month brings us daylight savings time on March 10, St. Patrick's Day on March 17, Easter on March 31, and the anxiously awaited first day of spring on March 19. Except for the infamous "pollening" that happens in Georgia at this time of year, which is never fun for allergy sufferers, most of us welcome the sight of budding trees, early blooming daffodils and hyacinths, and the sensation of warmer sunshine on our skin.

Many of us will take time this month to do some spring cleaning. Getting rid of unwanted or unused items that clutter our homes is great, especially if we can give those things to someone else who might need them. And who doesn't love the feeling of relaxing in a room that has just been scoured of accumulated winter dust, grime, and other contaminants?

After my mother passed away six years ago, my siblings and I had to go through our parents' home of more than 30 years to remove their belongings and get the house ready to sell. As you can imagine, our folks had acquired quite a collection of "stuff." During this process, we were often delightfully distracted by things such as an old photo album, a beloved winter jacket that might still harbor the faint scent of our daddy's aftershave, or the crowded kitchen cabinets full of well-worn pots and pans our mother used to prepare some of our favorite meals.

While purging my parents' home was overwhelming for many reasons, I couldn't help but recognize and be grateful for what their belongings represented. And it was certainly bittersweet to walk through their empty house for the last time before turning it over to a realtor to sell.

"Cleaned up and sanitized spaces speak of resolution and closure and pretense. Of finality. Of fiction. Messes, on the other hand, speak of a life being lived. Honestly. Clumsily. And they audaciously promise tomorrow. Even if they don't deliver." -Unknown

So, as you're "Marie Kondo'ing" your house to decide what "sparks joy" and what doesn't, what to keep and what to donate, I hope you'll take a few moments to reflect on the beauty in those messy piles and the memories some of those items elicit.

Happy spring!