Clutter free=happy me!

Last night I commented to Bob how happy I was since we took out all of the extra "stuff" that was around our home.  We've been in the process of trying to remove anything non-essential before the move.  The house has never looked better.

But then he said something that made me pause and think a little.  His word were, "Yeah, but now this place has no personality.  It went from a home to a house.  It looks staged and there isn't anything here that is 'us'".

I was surprised by this statement, as he and I share a dislike for clutter.  If I'm being totally honest, I've fantasised about what would happen if all the boxes of "stuff" that has been transferred out into the garage were suddenly gone.

But, maybe he's right.  Maybe there does need to be a sampling of "items of flair" to remind us who we are, the things we've experienced, and what knits us together.

As we move into our new home, I will be doing a careful evaluation of what I pull out of the boxes.  I don't want to fill a bigger place with trinkets just because they will fit.  I do find more peace in a simple home.  However, I will be mindful not to go overboard.  If the Star Wars figurines are important to Bob because they remind him of his childhood, I need to find a place for them.  If the drawer full of Dollar Store mementos are important to Sydney, I won't throw them out.  And if Hannah finds comfort hanging up drawings, posters and sketches up on her walls, why should I care?

I will likely need to be reminded (or supervised) as I unpack to avoid the strong urge to toss it all.  But, the attitude of "happy with less" is an important lesson that I do want to instill into my children.  In a few weeks, if you visit our new home, you'll have to let me know if we were able to balance each other out.