Last week, we talked about the energy that comes with spring. Because the days are getting longer, even the inevitable snow showers and cold snaps are releasing their hold on the landscape. We are carried by the irresistible force of nature towards green hills, birds, and flowers. That’s what spring is all about!
Well, maybe not “all” that it’s about. Most of us grew up with yet another seasonal tradition: spring cleaning. For my mother’s generation, spring meant scrubbing the house from stem to stern. Furniture was moved, dust bunnies hunted down and exterminated. Windows were washed…and floors…and walls. Smooth cotton linens replaced fuzzy flannel.
My own version of the ritual is somewhat less dramatic and much less thorough. I do enjoy dusting and vacuuming, opening the windows and wiping off the grime. I love the practice of swapping clothes from one part of the closet to another, and I take satisfaction from purging the collected clutter and heading for the thrift shop.
This year, I have also been thinking of spring cleaning in a broader context: examining my calendar, budget, habits, and to-do list. I have been evaluating the contents of my inbox and Facebook news feed. I have noticed the multiple pages that appear when I open a browser. I have been observing my daily, weekly, and monthly patterns with a critical eye. What am I doing “just because”? Where am I ready to move on? How do I want to invest the new energy that comes with more sun?
The box for the thrift shop went out yesterday. I hope the bargains inside add enjoyment to someone’s life. The calendar, the budget, the in-box, and the to-do list are slimming down and changing too. I am making room in my life as well as in my closet--room in my mind as well as my house--room to welcome the next unexpected gift from the Universe with an open heart, rather than groaning inside and wondering “What will I do with THAT?”
What excess baggage are you carrying around? What would you like to pass along to someone who would enjoy it more? What habits are no longer serving you well? What commitments have you outgrown, and which commitments have outgrown your capacity to fulfill? What would it feel like to free up an hour, two, or three a week by challenging past choices? Or what would you do differently with the $20 that pays for something you no longer need?
Happy spring cleaning, and go well.
Pam
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1 comment:
Pam,
This is such a timely article. I have been pondering these same questions...what to let go. What doesn't serve me? Like spring cleaning, I am reflecting on that and acting on that question a little at a time. It is nice to clear some space...
Thanks for another wonderful reminder!
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