A year or two ago, I packed up hundreds of books and donated them to my local library. The books were taking over and they had to go! I went through a major withdrawal period, thinking I "lost" books I would need later. But eventually I forgot about them.
This is happening again. More and more books have entered my home. They are in my "dressing room," the hall bookcase, and the bedrooms. It is too much. I hate to let more go, but I will pack some up today and give them to the library.
I need to make room for living. I want an uncluttered home. I will keep only those books (and items) that are meaningful for me on a daily basis. I realize it will be painful, but this type of de-cluttering must be done consistently, in order to keep our home pleasant and functioning.
Many years ago, I visited the beautiful old home of a neighbor. She was a retired teacher in her 80's. She showed me her home library. She had plenty of rooms, and this library was elegant and lovely. Her collection of books were old, but important to her. She said we should never get rid of our books. Her wisdom sometimes gives me guilt when I want to de-clutter. But I know that if I only get rid of books that are "fluff" or not important to me, then I am not necessarily getting rid of them, but sharing them with others, while making room in my home for what matters to me most.
So today, I will vacuum and sweep and clean my kitchen. I will do laundry and homeschool. But my main project of the day will be to fill up a couple of bags full of old books and get them out of the house before I change my mind. I want pleasant rooms in this house, and this mission is essential to our happiness.
Blessings
Mrs. White
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