Laying Bare: 2017 Word of the Year

Coming off of this holiday season, there is one thing that really jumped out at me.  We moved through it at break neck speed because even though the holidays were here, life didn’t seem to pause to take it all in.  The to-do lists were long and time was short.  For much of the season, I felt overwhelmed.

As I sat the last day of the semester, watching my students take their final exam I began to reflect about what has changed in my life causing this overwhelmed feeling.  As a younger adult I didn’t feel like I was racing through my days trying to get everything done before bedtime, but now I do.  Sure, kids make a big difference but I didn’t think that was everything.

It seems, as of late, every time I turn the corner there is another item to add to my list.  For instance, both boys had a cavity at the last dentist visit.

 

The dog had parasites because her preventative medication had lapsed and I didn’t have time to get her in to the vet.

I found myself in the precarious position of shopping for a laser tag game at 10:00 pm on December 23^rd because Luke told Santa earlier that day it was the only thing he wanted.  A toy that had never been uttered from his mouth up to that point.  Yes, it’s true.  I couldn’t fit “Santa” in to my schedule until December 23^rd.

 I’ve had a feeling lately that I’m always a day late and a dollar short.  Have you felt that way?

As I watched my students taking the test I started to think about their journey through the semester and how it is really a reflection of my life.  Some prepared through the semester by keeping up with their work on a day to day basis and studying for exams as they occurred.  The final exam for them was challenging but not overwhelmingly stressful.  Other students waited until the last few weeks to really “get serious” about the class, not giving it the time it deserved in small increments throughout the semester.  These students felt a high level of stress and worry.  When they would talk about the class I couldn’t help but think, “You have brought this on yourself by the choices you made”.

Hmmmm…their success in the class was a matter of choices?  Could it be that my overwhelming feeling was brought on by my choices?  Life isn’t something that just happens; we make our lives every day through the choices we make.  Could I be bringing the constant “overwhelm” on myself?  Were my choices causing cavities, parasites, and frantic trips to every toy store around?  As much as I didn’t want to admit it, yes they were.

I started to think about the choices I was making and really tried to pinpoint what it was that was robbing me of the joy of living my life day to day and then tried to figure out how my choice was bringing on stress.  Here are the things I came up with.

• Owning way too much stuff in every category (How many hammers does one person need?)
• Not being able to find things I know I own
• Not having designated places for items creating “clutter”
• Feeling like I’m missing information (band practices/competitions/doctor appointments/deadlines)
• A closet full of clothes and nothing to wear
• Photograph guilt (taking them and never printing)
• Feeling like everyone wants something from me and I never recharge my own battery
• Paper, paper, paper everywhere ( I swear mail multiplies faster than bunnies)
• The garage. No explanation needed.
• Not having enough of items we constantly use and having way too much of stuff we don’t use. (Drinking glass cabinet…I’m talking to you).

I know this time of year everyone is writing and thinking about organization and picking a “word of the year”.  I’ve done it too.  The problem is, sometimes I feel like organizing is just shuffling and moving junk from one area to another.  That somehow, putting it in a pretty box or basket is a license for keeping it and, dare I say, even adding more.  I’ve spent 2,427.6 hours of my adult life organizing and look where it has gotten me.  Overwhelmed and feeling unorganized.

 

There must be a better way, right?  Stuffing our closets and cabinets full of pretty containers filled with stuff is like putting lipstick on a pig.  It’s still a collection of junk we may not need to lead a meaningful, fulfilling life.  It is a closet that will be forever added to the “to-do” list because it will always need re-organizing.  That’s why I’m going bare.  I’m cutting out the clutter.  I’m taking it down to the bare bones of what I need in my home to help me lead a meaningful life so I can pass that joy on to my children.

 

You see, one day I realized I spend my days taking care of the stuff in my home, rather than the people in my home.  I spend more time with my dishes, pots and pans, laundry, and vacuum cleaner, collectively, than I do with my children.  Now I’m not one to ascribe to the philosophy of play with your kids now and worry about cleaning your house later.  After all, cleanliness is next to Godliness, or so I have heard.  But there must be something to the notion that the fewer things we need to take care of allows us to take care of the possessions and people we do have in our lives more.

So I’m going bare.  I’m taking my house down to the bare essentials.  I’m going to be baring my soul and my home throughout 2017 in an effort to make it a haven rather than my own personal labor camp.  It’s going to be hard.  I’m going to have to make tough decisions about items I have dragged from one end of the country to the other.  Items I have spent hard earned money on.  But I truly believe by going bare I’m going to find my joy again.

So, if you currently cringe when you open your glassware cabinet and duck your head when you pull out a water bottle in fear they all are going to fall on your head, won’t you join me?

If you currently stuff your clothes down in your drawer and quickly slam it shut with your hip and then pause to make sure it doesn’t pop back open, won’t you join me?

If you currently own fancy serving dishes you never use, but run out of spoons before you can run the dishwasher, won’t you join me?

If you constantly get that pesky message on your phone, “Storage Full Cannot Take Photo” and can’t delete anything on your phone because they are all precious memories, won’t you join me?

We can break free and regain the lives we were meant to live.

We can do this!  Who’s in?

Leave a comment below and tell me the one area of your home or life that needs the biggest fix.  I’m going to help myself and maybe along the way, I just might help you too