Being In A Good Place

 

A lot has happened around here since I retired nearly three years ago (that, in and of itself, is hard to believe), especially when it comes to my home.  In mid July of 2022 I became an empty nester when my youngest moved out on her own in preparation to go to college.  I am super happy for each and every one of my children as I raised them to be strong, capable, independent people and they are, very much so.  I couldn’t be more proud of the adults they have become and everything they have achieved thus far.  It does my mama heart so much good.

 

That summer, for the first time in thirty seven years, I found myself living completely alone and I was excited about it.  Now, don’t get me wrong, it did take some getting used to.  Everything I had done during those thirty seven years was always with someone else in mind so it took me a while to realize and accept that I could literally do, eat, have, go, whatever and wherever I liked and I didn’t have to take care of anyone else’s needs, preferences or wants.  Just me.  My “ah ha” moment was a couple weeks later in August when I realized I didn’t need to do anything to get someone ready for back-to-school.  I was done.  I was really done.  No one needed me to do a single thing for them.  My kids had it handled.  It was weird!

 

So much stuff has left this property! 😄

It was time to regain my own sense of independence so I started at the top of my home and spent the better part of six months completely going through entire house, getting rid of things and gathering up items the kids had left behind, and making changes to a couple of the bedrooms.  Then I went back and spent nearly and entire year going through every nook and cranny to completely declutter my entire house as well as the garage and they yard.  I got rid of so much stuff!  Even though I had done all of that work that year I did again this past year.  I went back through every nook and cranny once again and I got rid of more stuff!  In fact, I was actually quite surprised at all of the stuff I still had to get rid of.  I was just ready on the second pass through to let it go.  Decluttering our homes really is a process and while it may seem that it is a never ending process I can tell you it does get much, much easier.

 

There are no visible traces that my children ever lived here.  It is so very different now.  My home has always been a place where we felt comfortable, safe and secure, but now it has also become my sanctuary.  It is designed for me and me alone.  I have carefully set up spaces for the things I love and love to do whether it is time in the kitchen to cook and bake or in the sewing room where I can be creative.  I have space for house guests and for entertaining friends and loved ones, but once they leave I can do a little housekeeping and maybe some laundry and my home is still set up just for me.

 

Fast forward to the present and I can tell you I do love where I am at in life right now.  I truly loved being a mom.  A LOT!  But I also love just being me right now and getting to know myself again.  With a thoroughly decluttered house (my kids will definitely appreciate it one day) I find that my home is so much different now in not only how it looks, but also in how it feels.  While I am rediscovering myself, I’m also rediscovering this house and I love it.  It is kind of hard to explain, but I’ve entered a new chapter, a new phase in my life and it is a really good place to be right now.  Retired life is amazing!  I am so excited for what lies ahead!