Letting Go to Make Room for Living

For the past several months, Patrick and I have been slowly but surely paring down a lot at our river house. What started as a simple plan to refresh and repaint the bedrooms turned into something much deeper — a full-on decluttering mission.

As I worked through the inside of the house, I began to realize just how many things we owned that we didn’t need, use, or even remember having. Meanwhile, the garage — aka Patrick’s treasure trove — has become our shared project. I tend to be the type who’s fine letting go of things once they’ve served their purpose. Patrick… not so much. So it’s been a slow (and sometimes humorous) process, but one that’s turned out to be surprisingly therapeutic.

Recently, we climbed up into the attic above the garage, and wow. I had no idea just how much was stored up there. Bin after bin, box after box — and very little of it was anything we needed or even knew we still had. It really got me thinking: Why do we hold onto so much?

I think, for a lot of us, we hang onto things with the hope or intention that “one day” we’ll get around to that project, that repair, that moment of use. But the truth is, “one day” rarely comes. Life gets busy, priorities shift, and before we know it, our closets, garages, attics, and sheds are overflowing with stuff we meant to get to… but never did.

As much of a pain as it is to clean out an attic (and trust me, it is!), I’m so glad we’re doing it now. Not just for the peace of mind it brings us, but also because — let’s be honest — our kids would hate us if we left it for them to deal with someday. More importantly, it’s one less thing weighing us down, one more thing off our plate, and more time and space to enjoy life.

So if you’ve been putting off that not-so-fun task — whether it’s cleaning out a closet, tackling a junk drawer, or braving your own attic — consider this your gentle nudge to go ahead and start. Bit by bit, box by box, it adds up. And a few weeks from now, you’ll be so glad you did.

Here’s to less stuff… and more living. ❤️