scribblechic

This weekend I sifted through old calendars, simplifying a cluttered corner of my life. As I struggled with sentiment and logic, I recalled the words of Albert Einstein: “Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”

One project completed, I sought out other pockets of procrastination. Old photographs and a year of recipe magazines stored away for another day were unpacked and filtered by need. Photographs that stirred memories were lovingly nestled in a box with promises of permanent homes on album pages. Recipe magazines that had accumulated over the past year were scanned for old favorites and new possibilities to store in my kitchen organizer.

Inspired I grabbed a notebook and scribbled the names of my cluttered crannies, intent creating tidier nooks with action. Room by room, I sought the spaces that pull on my energy with the weight of tasks undone. Closets, drawers, and boxes unopened were filtered for need. Unused items were set aside to donate, piles of papers were cast to the recycling bin.

I had begun a genuine change, creating an expectation of simplicity and harmony for my home and family. The hidden lesson was one of opportunity. Humbly, I was reminded of something I wrote last year as I reflected on the power of a list, “..concept seems pulled from the pages of possibility into stark reality when pen meets pad.” Seeking out projects in my home, naming the places and items I store out of sight, I looked more closely at where I struggle to nurture order.

The clean lines of my counter tops are false mirrors of hidden spaces. I tuck away pieces of my days for later to lesson immediate distractions and in moments of uncertainty, creating disorder among things left undone. In this I must try not only to sift through old clutter, but to prioritize what I keep in days ahead. Sentimental keepsakes must have a home, important documents must not be buried beneath good intentions.

I am hoping my efforts to organize will foster a more peaceful home. I am sharing my moment of clarity in an effort to hold my intentions present among written promises to myself.

Note: My children are fluent in the language of clutter, their eclectic collections mock my efforts at order. I cannot deny them their childhood discoveries and mementos of special occasions, but I am hopeful my own efforts will inspire a more thoughtful manner of storing these treasures for safekeeping.