Vermont, Part I: Elizabeth

“Why is it so exciting and fun to do what we were doing?” That was Elizabeth’s first question on Sunday morning. We’d been up past midnight, sorting and decluttering her belongings. I was visiting my sister in Vermont after working with clients in New Hampshire. The day was rainy, and we found ourselves doing the work of Spirit & Space in her sweet little house. Elizabeth was ready to let go and clearly jazzed by a simpler, less cluttered look in her home. She said that she was too excited to get to sleep the night before; “if you’d been awake, I would have wanted to get up and do more.”

I asked Elizabeth to talk about what was sparking her excitement. “There’s an empowerment in letting things go which feels great. I like my things, but it’s also really fun to realize I don’t need them. I haven’t seen many of them, really seen them, for a long time; they’re just packed into my house. Seeing spaces anew after decluttering is somehow amazingly enlivening and enjoyable. It was really fun; I didn’t want to stop.”

She continued, “Having someone alongside me doing this is so much more productive than when I tried to do it on my own. You’re the bird on my shoulder that asks, ‘When did you last use this?’ or ‘What are you ready to let go of?’ and you want an answer. On my own, I can find reasons to hold onto it all. But with you I realize that I don’t have to hold onto the physical thing to remember the person who gave it to me or the place. There’s something empowering about choosing my favorite things and letting others go. I put a lot of value on the sentimental, but having beauty and simplicity is even better than holding onto so many things.”

What a pleasure it was to help my sister find more joy in her home. Next week you’ll hear about a very special moment we shared.