I had read a post on An Exacting Life in which she wrote about decluttering her kitchen drawer. The idea of getting rid of junk is a simple one- and yet, what it can do for a person runs much deeper than that.

After having my miscarriage in December, I felt like I needed a change. Physically, my husband and I got tattoos in honour of our child’s short life. But I needed something more than that. I craved an emotional alteration as well. Everywhere I looked, I was reminded of my pregnancy. That hopefulness and anticipation of having a new life to care for. The freezer was full of healthy pregnancy foods. The basement had all of Remy’s old toys and clothes that were just waiting for someone to use them. I set up a little shrine in our bedroom commemorating our lost child. And so on. I decided to purge our house of things we had and no longer needed.

I began in the basement. While I’m not at all a materialistic person, I have a tendency to hold onto items that have a sentimental value. I also tend to take unwanted items from other, re-purpose them, and keep them, in order to give them a home. I hate to throw anything out, and yet, I decorate as a minimalist. My heart seems to be at odds with my sense of style. So, I brought up any furniture or baby items (mostly remnants from my store) that I was still holding on to, but not using. Then I gave them away.

My closet was next. I set aside only a few items that I would be taking to a consignment store, and the rest, I donated as well.

Lastly, I began to tackle our kitchen. I don’t just mean I got rid of items from our cabinets. I mean I physically removed our cabinets. Remodelling our kitchen has been on our “to do” list ever since we bought our home. I figured that this was as good a time as any to begin that transformation. So out with our old food went our cabinets. Stay tuned for the before and after next week!

Having this positive distraction was so beneficial. I was able to get out of my head for a few hours. Remy had fun watching and helping me move items around. I felt much lighter as pieces began to leave my life one by one. More importantly, they were given to a good cause. Even though this clearing out stemmed from a loss, nobody lost in this situation. If anything, we all gained something. I genuinely recommend it!

Emory

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