The Great Purge of 2010

Mr. Turtle (the boy's favorite chew toy) and Mr. Jiggles
© shoutingforha

Things have been terribly exciting here at the Ha house.  The hubby and I have been in the process of  purging some of the excess stuff from our home. And you thought we were spending all our time fighting off the plague. 

In addition to getting rid of some of our extra furniture, one of my main focuses was to tackle the bins of baby and toddler stuff that had been crammed into the back corner of the attic.  What a job that was.  

You may be wondering why I, a mother of a nine-year-old, would still have mountains of little guy stuff.  Simply, the hubby and I always thought we would have more kiddos.  When my boy outgrew his clothes, I packed away all the good stuff for that "just in case" moment.

 

A teeny, tiny leather jacket.
© shoutingforha

I also hoped to be able to pass some things onto my sister, should she ever have a son.  Well, last month, my one and only nephew was born.  The only problem is that his mid September debut and my boy's St. Patty's Day birth are exactly six months apart, give or take three days.  

All of my baby clothes were intended to keep our tiny bundle cool during the long, hot Tennessee summer.  My sister's latest edition will need things that are significantly warmer if he is going to survive his first winter in the mountains of Colorado.  Clearly my sister didn't plan this too well. 

Once my boy hit the rapid growth years known as elementary school, I began cramming everything into bins or bags and tossing them into the attic.  All the while, I kept telling myself that I would sort through it later.  As it turns out, later was last week.

The boy wore this the day he was dedicated.
© shoutingforha

After dragging all of the bins and bags from their hiding place, I sorted the contents into four different piles:  

1.  Things I can't get rid of, EVER, as long as I live
2.  Stuff to keep for my nephew 
3.  Stuff to give away
4.  Trash (anything that had holes or was stained)

As I pulled things from the bins, I would have flashbacks to certain events... The ride home from the hospital...  Our chubby six-month-old, the first signs of curl starting to appear in his hair, sitting in a freshly raked pile of leaves... My boy, 18-months old, running around Boston's Public Garden, an acorn clutched in his little hand...

I know I've said this a million times before, but I can't believe how quickly my boy has transformed from a little butterball into the lanky young man that stands before me today.  Life is truly a vapor.

My favorite sweater EVER.  I loved the contrast of the green with my boy's red hair.
© shoutingforha

Once my sorting was complete, I carefully repacked the things I want to save for our grandchildren or give to my sweet nephew. Best of all, I was able to donate several bags to a charity that provides free clothing to those who need it most. I even gave our crib and mattress to a friend who recently found out she is expecting her first baby.

It felt so freeing to finally get rid of all that stuff away.  My heart feels lighter knowing that my boy's things will be put to good use.  Isn't it funny how the act of giving generously to others has that effect? 

I only hope that I can keep up the momentum.  My goal, moving forward, is to try to keep a loose grip on my possessions and only hang onto the things that I truly love or need.