To everything there is a season. We’ve all heard that, haven’t we? And as we start getting older we realize how true it is. When we’re young we accumulate things. We raise families, we build our “nests.” But as we get older, our priorities change. Our understanding changes.
Aging often brings a season of loss, but there’s a positive side to aging too. We discover the freedom to choose a simpler lifestyle – one that’s rich and meaningful, and suits our season in life.
As a professional organizer, I’ve realized organizing can be part of a profound life-changing process. Let me tell you about a woman named Nancy, and I think you’ll see what I mean.
Nancy, who lived in a huge 4-story condo, was facing foot surgery requiring months of rehab. Her condo wasn’t equipped to handle her post-surgery life. She wanted to move to a one-floor condo she could age into.
But Nancy had rooms filled to the ceiling with antiques and artwork. Her garage overflowed with antiques she had never even unpacked. She needed her huge condo to for her things to live in. She couldn’t have her surgery unless she found a way to change the way she thought about her possessions.
I assured Nancy there’s no “right” way to simplify, that we’d find a way that worked for her. We began categorizing her antiques and art. As we worked, she realized some things she once loved had lost their meaning for her. That was a life-changing event.
She gradually realized she could keep the things she loved, and pass others to family members, or sell them, or donate them. She was relieved to have that weight lifted from her shoulders.
Finally, we put the things Nancy truly loved in storage and she had her surgery. After rehab, she chose a smaller condo – one that fit her new simpler lifestyle – and we unpacked. Now you can actually SEE her beautiful art and antiques displayed. Nancy now owns her possessions. Before she simplified, her possessions owned her.
I was honored to be part of the process. I’ve been honored to help other clients burdened by things: photographs, heirlooms, papers, or just plain old stuff. The result is the same: a simplified life for a new season.
What a loving gift that is for themselves, and for their friends and families. What a wonderful legacy.
You may be able to give yourself and your loved ones those gifts without ever calling an organizer. But if you need some help, please don’t be embarrassed to pick up the phone! I always tell my clients it’s an honor to be invited into their homes and to work alongside them to make these important life-changing decisions.
My clients are courageous people who want to a simpler, more freeing life – for themselves and, by extension, for their loved ones. And we always, every single time, have a positive outcome.
When we’re through working together, they say, “I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I feel free.”
How could I not be honored to be a part of that, to welcome them to a new season of their life?
Eileen LaGreca is a Certified Professional Organizer, and owner of Sensational Spaces, LLC. She works in Northern VA and metro DC area. She can be found at www.SensationalSpaces.com.
©Eileen LaGreca 2014
