Get Rid of It, Already!

A few years ago, while cleaning up our house to put it on the market my husband burst out, "I HATE THAT LAMP!" Well that lamp was a wedding present from friends who were as poor as we were and so we (or maybe just I was) were happy to have any sort of lighting since our first abode/box, came with no overhead lights and two windows total in the whole place. For years, the irritation bubbled very subtly under the surface. So subtly that I was shocked when he said it.

"Well, for heaven's sake! Let's get rid of it!" I said. And we did. Right then.

We all have stuff taking up room, filling up space, piling up on tables that we despise or just generally dislike. We try to ignore it, but every time we pass by the offending thing we sigh or shake our head or just resign ourselves to it's annoying presence. Why?

Spring cleaning should include getting rid of obligation gifts that we hate, decorative objects whose style is repulsive, and sad-sack things that just are way past their prime. They drain energy and take up space where something new or better could be.

Most people protest that they "can't afford a new lamp/chair/couch" or if we get rid of it "Aunt Polly will be offended/angry/hurt". Bah! Your house needs to be a restful, restorative, place that centers on you. The space left open by the missing item will prod you to either fill it with something better, or you may find you never needed the thing, don't miss it and don't want to fill the space.

My least favorite furniture item was a couch nearly identical to the picture above. Just thinking about it gives me hives and my nose fills with the smell of mold and dead cells. Digusting, right? Yup, disgusted would be very descriptive of how I felt even thinking about sitting on that wretched thing. We left the behemoth behind in Michigan when we moved to New York. Sweet, blessed relief! I would have rather sat on the floor, why we didn't I can't tell you.

Get rid of it, already! You'll be happy you did.