Hoarding and Purging

So, I am still working on purging, although my "regular" life keeps intruding time wise. We have had a delightful concert from the choir organization in which 5 of my children are involved. We have had rehearsals for said concert. We have had a trip to the doctor for one child, a trip to walk in care and an orthopedist for another. Then there is school and weeding, and trying not to rely on pizza for dinner more than one time this week.

Anyway, after a trip to a discount store, where I bought some things I am sure I don't need, I decided I need to take the same amount of items out of my house, and also to give a few of the new items away for some occasions that arise soon. It is getting easier for me to convince myself, "I don't need this", whether it is a new item or one I am trying to take out of my home.

However, the illusion, the ideal, the "perfect" home, mom, wife thing remains, and I am constantly trying to quell a little panic as I divest myself of, or pass up on, items that do fit this mythical image of my life.

Fortunately, The One who loves me best, knows me best, and has the real ideal me in His mind is helping me out.

I am currently reading Simplicity Parenting, by Kim John Payne and Lisa Ross. I don't have far to stretch to align myself with this book, but some of the practical ideas are very helpful for me to align the idea to the practical application.

I also have watched Hoarding a few times, and while I do recognize the reasons for the disorder in the people in the show, I can also see much more clearly what is disordered about their reasoning. The show is really helping me to tell myself the proper exhortations.

And finally, today's Daily Meditation from the Henri Nouwen Society is called The Temptation to Hoard. I'll share it with you:

The Temptation to Hoard

As fearful people we are inclined to develop a mind-set that makes us say: "There's not enough food for everyone, so I better be sure I save enough for myself in case of emergency," or "There's not enough knowledge for everyone to enjoy; so I'd better keep my knowledge to myself, so no one else will use it" or "There's not enough love to give to everybody, so I'd better keep my friends for myself to prevent others from taking them away from me." This is a scarcity mentality. It involves hoarding whatever we have, fearful that we won't have enough to survive. The tragedy, however, is that what you cling to ends up rotting in your hands.

That last line is a doozy, isn't it?

And so the battle continues.