Making space

I am grateful for space; I am grateful for the act of making space.

For the last six months, I have tried to let go – of extra things, of worn out interpretations of old events, of meetings or events or activities that were just clutter.

But it’s one thing to let go, and altogether another to protect the space. To decide that among the many things that matter, space matters.

Every book I’ve ever read – about decluttering or business or self-help – recommends having a vision in advance – a vision for the space, or the “why” of what you’re doing. “Know your why” seems like a pretty standard – and believable – practice.

The truth is that I don’t know the “why” of making space. I didn’t have a vision of what I wanted my house to be like when I started decluttering, or even a vision of what I wanted my life to be like when I started being more selective about my schedule.

But I know the “that” of it – I know that clear countertops feel more peaceful to me than cluttered ones. As someone who loves material things and whose love language is presents, and the more the better – this came as a shock. I know bookcases with space feel more peaceful than crammed ones – again, as a book lover, this feels so strange. I know that space in my calendar feels peaceful, and not – as I would have predicted – anxiety-inducing that I am not doing enough.

So I’m grateful for gift of the space; grateful to myself for making that space – even without a clear purpose, vision, or why.