The townhouse I wrote about last week lived up to my expectations, there were no disappointments and we’re moving in two weeks.

Joy abounds, but now comes the hard work of packing and all the other details that go along with a move.

Since we are moving from four bedrooms and a dining room to three bedrooms and an eating area, I’ve been winnowing and weeding the detritus we’ve accumulated.

This is hard, dirty work, especially going through the storage containers in the garage.

In the process I’ve uncovered lost treasures and unrecognizable trash (why did I ever keep that?!).  Disposing of the unwanted clutter is liberating.

If I tried to bring everything with us to our new home it would be cramped and dirty. Now, it will be fresh and neat, a clean slate to mark the days ahead.

Downsizing began as an unpleasant necessity and evolved through fearful hopes to joyous celebration.  But in order to reap the full benefits of the transition I needed to do the tedious work of digging down and cleaning out remnants of the past that were no longer wanted.

Some of the things I purged this week have been with me through several past moves,  untouched in the original packing boxes. Through the years they have taken up space and gathered dust while serving no useful purpose.

I believe that things should be either beautiful, meaningful or useful to earn a place in my home. The items in these boxes no longer passed that test.

Our emotional and spiritual lives often contain the same sorts of clutter that can prevent us from experiencing the fulness of joy.

Do you have attitudes or thought patterns that are no longer beautiful, meaningful or useful to your life today?

If they can’t be cleaned up or repaired, get rid of them and don’t carry them with you into tomorrow.