Dump

Old stuffed animals, dog-eared books, ugly clothes, ill-fitting shoes, broken clocks, cracked wine glasses, faded photos, ancient journals, moldy pillows, unfashionable scrunchies, crusty paint cans, tangled wedding decorations, 80’s cassettes, warped bed frames, paint-peeled doors, cantankerous poster frames, clunker phones, ripped wrapping paper, lost-love letters, dark forever floor lamps, wax coated candle holders, tacky knickknack things, mismatched earrings, unflattering sweaters, I could go on and on.

Kisa and I worked in the basement for the entire day. Stripping away six years of collected junk. Hauling it up the stairs, throwing it on the lawn. Opening unmarked boxes, relabeling bins, finding old treasures. For every one thing thrown away another thing was carefully repacked. Everything in its place, either out the door or saved for another time.

It felt much like cleaning out the heart. I have held on to things for too long, much too tightly. My grip killed the reasons for keeping. I’m glad I let go.