I am not a hoarder. Definitely not.
Well maybe I am. Just a little bit!
I have had to face facts. I pack things up and put them away at the back of the cupboard. Rarely open them, rarely use them, but comforted in the knowledge that they are there. I have come to understand this quote thoroughly.

I recently moved to the Surrey Hills. This meant my home of 23 years was standing lonely and unloved. I had to bite the bullet and take steps to rent it out. The first step was ‘operation clear out’, which I thought would be straight forward. I wrote my action plan as this task was going to be a practical one, maybe with peripheral emotion.
My house was tidy, but somewhat full. Full! Full was an understatement. I am surprised at the naivety with which I approached this. Digging around nooks and crannies untouched for years. Did I really think it was going to be simple?
I had cultivated and treasured years of memories. My mind, just like my house, was stuffed full to the gunnels with things. Things that would:
• Come in handy in the future.
• Be back in fashion soon.
• Remind me of my life so far.
• Keep people I have lost alive.
• Stop me forgetting.
I felt as if I had been hit by an emotional steam roller. Memories, painful, happy and resurrected, tumbled out as quick as I pulled the precious items from the shelves. My head rang with questions. Will my memories fade? Am I being wasteful? What if I need this in the future?
There is a great article by Michele Hanson at the Guardian called ‘How to conquer the clutter’. One line in it resonated so loud for me it was almost deafening:
‘I daren’t let go of the past, and I know that I’ve completely lost control of the present, never mind the future.’
Michele Hanson, 15 February 2010
Bolstered by the article, knowing I was not alone, I ploughed on. I made piles called:
• Bin it.
• Sell it.
• Use and enjoy it.
• Still can’t get rid of it!

This made the physical space to allow me to rent the house out. It also made space for new thoughts and seeing things in a new light. Luckily nature can provide a way to explain the complex. I came across this scene while walking, and it says how I felt better than any words could.
Inspired by my first round of decluttering, it may be time to revisit the still crammed bookcases and wardrobes. The brilliant blog, minimal-lol.com , on minimalism is spurring me on. Have a look and you will get the bug too.
Or have you already had a go at decluttering? Any tips would be welcome.
Anyway, time for me to dash off until next time, when I would really like to introduce you to Ted, also known as Mr Barker.
Hi there, I loved this post! And thank you very much for the shout-out, very kind indeed. I’m still very much on my de-cluttering journey so really enjoyed this insight and the line that spoke to me most was that you have kept things that would keep people you have lost alive. I struggled most with this because I felt letting go of the thing was like letting go of the person and I couldn’t do that. I’ve found ways around this now and my memories are inside of me but it’s difficult. I can’t imagine having to apply this to a whole house – I admire you tremendously, Lxxx
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Sending a huge hug. Keep blogging as I’ve got my clothes to rationalise now xx
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There’s no stopping you!! Any help required, just give me a shout 🌷
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Totally agree. We all have too much baggage these days.
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Too right and it’s heavy to carry around!
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[…] few months later, I read a post from the Change Agent. She was writing about de-cluttering her house and she used a phrase that really spoke to me. She […]
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