Now that summer has arrived, you're planning to just sit back
with your feet up and a cool glass of lemonade at your
elbows. You can sip your lemonade and R-E-L-A-X.
But NO! You've forgotten! There's loads of work to do. All
that junk that's accumulated and just waiting for you,
begging for your attention. All those papers you've saved,
the tests you've taken and the notes you've written.
Invitations, old books, newspapers and clothing are just a
few of the items you'll need to tackle. And the pile of junk
will keep on growing.
What?! How on earth did we manage to amass so much junk in
the past year(s)? What in the world is going on here? Why
can't we manage to just throw out our papers like so many
other people manage to do? Why do we have to get stuck with
all this junk? Yes. It's junk. Not all of it, of course, but
most of it.
I suppose many of the readers have this problem and are
drowning in an endless sea of papers.
Let's get to the root of this problem!
Firstly, we get too attached to our papers. Once something is
in our possession, it becomes dear to us. Therefore, it is
difficult for us to part with that article.
Secondly, we're constantly pondering; maybe this item will be
useful in the future. If I discard it, I might later come to
regret that action. There are so many things that I just
might need, like the clothes that might come back in style,
or maybe we can use it for costumes or for dressing up. The
possibilities are endless. The notes I've collected might
help me one day, I might teach that subject. There are a
million and one other articles that right now aren't useful,
but maybe one day??
You must agree with me. It is a problem. A BIG problem. If
this is the situation now, what will be in a few years from
now? Now, I just have my own items to deal with. In a few
years, it will also include my husband and children's
baggage. And you all know how it is with children. Every day
they bring home another handiwork or project that they've
made; if it's precious to them, then it's definitely precious
to me. How in the world will we part with all that "junk"?
(Mothers, I apologize for the term I'm using). Educators
always caution about throwing away our children's handiwork
in their presence or if they'll be able to see it in the
garbage can. We must compliment them on their handiwork (even
if it's really junk!)
So we continue to collectåÌ and collect. We must come to the
conclusion that we do NOT have room for all that junk. Our
space is limited.
Now that we're familiar with the problem and its
consequences, we must try to reach a solution to this never-
ending daily problem. What must one do? How do you get rid of
all (or at least some) of your junk?
Someone once gave the following suggestion: If you don't use
something within the next three months — throw it out!
This is a good piece of advice. But what if we're talking
about toys you'll use in the future or clothes you might one
day give to your sister, children or grandchildren. Then
what?
I've been thinking about this problem a lot, but guess what?
I haven't come up with any GOOD solutions yet. Some
suggestions I've come up with so far are as follows: Get
someone else to clear my stuff. This solves the problem of
not being attached to the possessions, but there's a bigger
problem — they might just discard important documents
of mine! Another solution is not cleaning up at all! You
might like this one but it certainly won't solve your
problem.
Obviously, you need to sift and sort through your things,
using your head. Try to detach your emotions a bit. Ask
yourself: Will I really use this? Is anyone ever going to
wear this, or is it just going to sit in the closet for the
next ten years collecting dust? Is this item important/
practical/ useful?
You don't need to throw everything out. There are plenty of
Gemachs out there that take old clothes, toys etc (in good
condition). If you're going to get rid of something, why not
give it to a Gemach so that others can enjoy it?
The items that are really junky, not useful- just throw them
out! As long as it's not baal tashchis, don't have any
qualms about doing so. The items you deem important, save,
enjoy, hopefully you will use them in the (near) future.
It's quite easy to write this, but quite difficult to
implement. Despite all this, this is one of our tasks,
therefore, do it happily, with a cheerful attitude. Make it
your summer project!
So what are you waiting for? Just roll up your sleeves and
get to work! Happy cleaning!
(P.S. Any other solutions to this problem will be greatly
appreciated.)
