I recently emptied my rented storage space. It was a dreaded process, but one I was determined to go through in a continuing quest to simplify my life. For years I have been opposed to collecting unnecessary 'stuff.' Yet, I've had a difficult time letting go of certain things and have not wanted to devote time or emotions to making decisions about items that, for whatever reason, have been dragged along over the years.
Having moved to a smaller house with a small garage, no basement, an attic that isn't really usable and few closets to boot, I figured my desired state of 'storage locker free zone' would force a grand purge.
While the storage space is now empty, I'm still working on finding homes for possessions temporarily stacked in the corners of my living room. It's a work in progress that has a direct correlation to feeling an increasing sense of freedom.
An owner of a moving company told me the greatest boon to his company's storage division is guilt. He said that adult children of parents who had passed didn't want their parent's belongings, but felt guilty about letting them go so they sit in storage year after year.
If we choose to remember someone or something, it's helpful to remind ourselves that if we only keep a few select items, it's not the memory that is being let go of, it's the material 'stuff.' Having a clear distinction between the two is helpful when we are ready to literally and figuratively lighten our loads.
©2010 catherine lenard
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