Since Ken’s death, I have been sorting. As I am ready to face something, I sort, and as I sort I think of who could use this, who would want this, do I need this, will I need this, and so on. Is it old and I should pitch it? From old spices that sounded good, but never got used, things I don’t eat like sardines, things I won’t cook for one like lasagna.
Food, paper, clothes, furniture. It has taken time. And I wasn’t taking photos; I was just toughing it out. This week some furniture left and some space opened up
Now I am catching up emotionally. Even though I was excited and happy to see things go that I can’t imagine wanting or needing, it was a form of good bye, a sense of finality and a view ahead to a great unknown future unlike my past decades. It was exhausting
There is more to do – and after I sort through the living space, there are out buildings, garden sheds, green houses, studio. Next will be the remaining paper and then books and canning jars.
For now I focus on what I have done, not the list there is left to do. The satisfaction of seeing things that can be used find new homes and avoid going to a landfill or incinerator is gratifying; it seems to carry on Ken’s desire to reuse, recycle and compost whenever possible. I feel progress as I leave the baggage of the past and get ready to move forward.
