ruthless

January has been set aside for many things, it is National Hobby Month,

National Blood Donor Month, National Hot Tea Month (is Iced Tea Month

separate, perhaps in August?), National Oatmeal Month, and National Soup

Month.  So many ways to celebrate, where will you begin?


In our house, January is National Clean out the Closets, Attic, Drawers, and

Basement Month.  So far, we have made a dent in it, and it's only mid-

January, so I have high hopes.


This weekend Charlie and I tackled his closet.  After much moaning and

gnashing of teeth, I dragged him in to help me.  Our house was built in

1937, so our closets are small and oddly shaped, usually with a skinny

door on one end and a closet that reaches far back along the side of the

wall.


Sometimes when we do a closet clean, we just take things out and toss

and put things back.  This time we took every single item out, and a

decision had to be made, toss, keep, or donate.  And we scrubbed the

walls and shelves and floor.  And I found the box where I had saved

Charlie's art projects, and spelling tests, and first stabs at writing, from

all the way back to preschool.


Oh dear.  My heart traveled back in time as I found the beautiful haiku he

had written in 2nd grade, with the sweet painting.  His seder plate from

preschool at the JCC.  His rendition of the ice palace, and many many

pictures of loaders and construction vehicles and airplanes.  I remembered

how he always wrote his numbers backwards in kindergarten and first

grade.

What to do?  If I had been smart, I would simply have selected a few

items back when they were current, and taken a picture of him holding it.

But a photo of him now, holding the Thanksgiving turkey he made when he

was four, just wouldn't have the same effect.


So I took a deep breath and a garbage bag, and ruthlessly tossed

memories away.


I now have a small folder, with a couple of things representing each school

year.  And the intention is that I will take photos of these items, and store

them on a cd, so I can then toss the folder too.


Ruthless, simply ruthless.  But now there is lots of room for ski gear, and

dirt bike gear, and weekend backpacks.  Time flies...