There is one thing I have loved about this whole “gotta move” thing. It has really opened up my eyes to a lot of things I have allowed myself to do or happen to me that, really, I shouldn’t. It (oh lordy forgive the cliche`) has really been a growing experience. (I’ll wait while we all join hands and sing Kumbaya. Beautiful. Albeit a bit out of tune, but that is okay. Great job with the harmony!)

For one thing, I have learned that I don’t have to keep gifts that suck. If someone gave me something that I will never use and have no purpose for and, frankly, would rather not ever have to look at it again, I really don’t have to keep it around year after year after year in storage. Along those same lines, I also don’t have to keep things that I do like while just waiting for that “One Day” when I will figure out just what to do with it. (In fact, I just gave one of my best friends a gorgeous glass vase that I have had for years that I had no idea how to use in my decorating scheme. She was thrilled and loves it and is already using it in her bathroom. See, my dust collector became her centerpiece. And I love that!) Oh sure, it’s not always fun and games! It totally sucked getting rid of those jeans that “Oh sure I will fit my ass into them again reeeaaalllyyyy soon. Honest”. But, that gave me not only room in my closet, but hangers. (With a family a five, hangers are a valuable commodity! You just don’t jack with anyone else’s hangers in this family.)

Now, if you step away from “stuff”, then you have the other things in my life I have let go of. Those are the best. I have really learned who I am and what really matters to me. Staying friends with people I truly care about…important. Giving a damn what people that I don’t care about think…meaningless. Realizing that I don’t have to be put into anyone else’s mold of what a PTA Mom “should be” has been a big helper. Admitting that I am just not going to fit in with the Stepford Wives that I have tried so hard to be friends with is a good thing. It is good to know that I am not one of them. Of course, the friends I have made here have meant everything to me. I will always bring juice to their parties. There is a lot more, but my time is up.

(Timers suck. Bite me, FlyLady!)

—–