Day 10

Drop everything! Well, they don’t suggest you actually drop everything, but that you give away something you value. Today has challenged the way that I find it hard to let go of possessions…. stuff…. I am not exactly a hoarder, but then again, perhaps I am.

I thought about the mirror that I had as a child. It was my mother’s and possibly post war utility. I have no idea if it is regarded as collectable or not. Perhaps I could take it into an antiques shop and get their opinion. It is in need of repair. One of the things that holds the mirror in place came out and I’ve lost it. Not difficult to repair but of course we haven’t got around to doing it. The glass is in a safe place. The wooden bit is currently in the ‘charity box’ awaiting donation. But today I thought about it. I would like to use it again, but there’s nowhere to put it as I have a pine mirror that goes with the bedroom furniture. But then again I would like to think of someone getting pleasure from it. And then another thought – what if it fetches a tidy sum on EBay???? I could put it on the village facebook page and see if anyone wants it. So many possibilities….. and in the thinking about it I sense that it is part of my past, it is something I have had for so many years but it is just pieces of wood and glass.

I put it on hold and think about what I can give away today. I consider putting together stuff for the charity shop. But then realise there isn’t really time for that as I have arranged to meet my daughter for lunch. I take her a scented candle. It isn’t exactly a treasured possession, but it does mean something to me because it was a present. She was delighted to receive it, and I felt that it was the right decision to have made.

Today I have, once again, realised that I do need to declutter. I have far too many things. It is 6 years until I retire and we move into a much smaller property. So I have set myself the challenge to gradually let go of things, but without any set targets along the way it isn’t going to be easy. Perhaps I should put into my diary a monthly trip to the charity shop – to donate, not to buy!