Dear Friends,
I’ve always wanted to be a mattress, a suitcase and a couple of boxes kind of a gal. Every time I move, I
say goodbye to a ton (or two) of clothes, furniture, books and tchotchkes. But
then, before I know it, objects keep piling up again! There are simply too many
things out there that I like, need or must have!
Yesterday was all about
de-cluttering. I thought I start with my wardrobe, since I’m very good at
tossing out what has ceased to be useful or beautiful, but this time around, I couldn’t
bring myself to pretend that I was allowed to pack only one suitcase. The
thought of giving away even the least appealing garment or accessory ran
shivers down my spine. What ifs, buts and maybes kept creeping into my process
of elimination. I’ve never lived on fixed income before. What if I can only
afford the bare necessities from retirement on? Maybe I have to wear these
clothes till the day I die!
At 10’oclock in the morning,
I finally reached for the Merlot. Ten ounces of red later, a much more
optimistic Lili put on Roy Orbison’s "Pretty Woman" on repeat, and had herself a fashion
show in front of the closet mirror, promising to get rid of the ill-fitting and the unflattering, without prejudice.
Big bags that tote daybooks, make-up
bags, lunch containers and sometimes even a pair of
indoor shoes — out!
Conservative tops and bottoms that look good only in traditionalist milieus — out!
A mountain of scarves and custom bijouterie, to grab and hold seven/eight-year-olds
attention, straight into granddaughters’ dress-up chest!
By the afternoon, I was feeling
very good about my iron will, and then I took a break to read the news on line.
Regrettably, I landed on an
article about the sad state of most seniors. Apparently, 30% of Canadian
retirees return to work to make the ends meet.
Later at night, I got out of
bed, and reluctantly snuck couple of business-like pieces into the pile of “keepers," just in case.
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