“I promised my daughter I wouldn’t do that to her.”

“I promised my daughter I wouldn’t do that to her.”  So said a client weeks before I’d officially launched Spirit & Space. He had inherited his parents’ home with all their belongings, including items they’d inherited from their parents; the house is full of stuff. This client told his daughter he wouldn’t do the same to her, and set a goal of cleaning out the basement in 2022. When we met for a free consultation early in the year he said, “You have to see the mess; it’s driving me crazy!” He knew it would be a big project and wanted help, especially because getting around is somewhat difficult for him. Good for him for deciding to tackle the project! 

 Our first day on the job we worked together for more than 7 hours. He decided to start with the crowded area at the bottom of the basement stairs. While he dug into boxes to sort papers, letters, and other items, I moved things around and started piles for trash, recycling, and donating. We talked about all the items; he made decisions about what would stay and what would go. He shared lots of stories and I made lots of trips to dispose of stuff, filling trash and recycling bins as well as two carloads for donating.

 What a difference a day makes! We cleared out the space at the bottom of the steps and made it halfway into the room. It was a great start and the client felt good about how we worked together. There’s lots more to do – after all, it took decades to create the situation, and the client knew it would take a long time to restore order. But with the help of Spirit & Space, the client is well on the way to accomplishing his 2022 goal!