We diligently acquire things most of our lives only to begin the process of elimination as we approach maturity. Funny how we don’t realize how much we have until we have to get rid of it all.

The desire to downsize comes naturally with aging. We no longer need the room and all that stuff. It’s more than we can take care of, and we’d rather be doing other activities than cleaning, sorting, and repairing it all.

But where do we begin?

Marshall and I talked about downsizing for years. Our greatest issue was the museum he had in our home. By that time he already was showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease and couldn’t focus or figure out what to do with his massive collection. Unfortunately, it was left for me to handle.

Anytime we take on a major project the best place to start is – anywhere! Clean out one drawer, shelf, corner, closet at a time. And don’t feel badly about getting rid of things you never used. If you pass it on to a charitable organization, someone else will be happy to have it. Before you know it, you will be circling back and clearing out more from the same areas in which you began. The key is not to continue to add things to your home while simultaneously purging.

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