More of Less
April 24, 2011 
After days of cold rain… the sun is finally shining. The windows are open. The air is fresh and clean and rich.
Spring.
For me - it’s often a time of year when I find myself wanting to clear away all of winter’s debris. To sort thru the clutter that’s accumulated. To let go of all that is old and which no longer serves me..and to welcome in all that is new.
And there I am – on this beautiful day – in the deepest recesses of my closet. My hope – as it always is – to make less of the excess..and then – once accomplished – to make more out of less. How much do I really need - anyway? Given who I am and how I’ve crafted my life? Keeping it small..keeping it simple have been my guiding words…my mantra..my motto.
What is in daily reach and immediate view – is easy. The clothes – neatly folded..or hung all in a row. I live in nothing other than jeans and sweaters..shorts and summer ‘T’s. If I haven’t worn it this year and or last – then it’s unlikely that I’m going to wear it in the years to come. A matter of minutes is all it takes to cull thru..to decide. What stays..and what goes. What serves me..and what does no longer.
But there – beyond my reach – sitting up on shelves high above my eye – are the ‘things’ with which I never quite know what to do. The box that holds locks of hair – from each of my kids’ first haircuts. And another – that carries all of their handmade cards. And even one more – that is overfilled with letters written and mostly received from years ago..in the days when – if we had something important we wanted and/or needed to communicate we did it with pen and paper and sent it via old fashioned snail mail.
My father’s old medium format cameras. My grandfather’s Polaroid land ones. A silk scarf that was my grandmother’s…that still holds the faintest scent of her perfume.
Often – I find myself wondering what will happen to these sentimental objects that carry little significance and meaning to anyone other than myself. These ‘things’ that I hold on to…that tell my story…that are my life. Will there be a time when I’ll know? When to let go?
And – is this nothing other than ‘clutter’? Accumulated dust that needs to be cleared away to make space for what’s buried beneath to shine thru? Or – are these what ‘define’ me..that speak to my journey..that make me who I am today?
The sun shines thru the window..bathing the closet in its late afternoon light. Hours have passed while lost in this archaeological dig..this emotional excavation. Hours of looking back…of remembering..of being reminded of who I once was...past lives... from where I once came.
I remind myself of my ultimate goal – to make less of excess. And – I decide – that this…this is not excess. This is the foundation. This is the ground on which I walk on..and from which I grow. Carefully – as if they are the most precious objects in all of the world – I place them all back into the boxes where they belong. Back up on that high shelf. Still beyond my view..but no longer out-of-sight.
Spring has come.
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Cross-posted today (Monday) over at Vision and Verb- where a collaborative group of like-minded women from all over the world share their passion for photography and the written word.
Reader Comments (34)
ah,marcie, i hope you post this on v&v, as the photo and verbiage are reminders of all of us. beautiful.
As Spring makes an appearance we instinctively want to start cleaning and decluttering but there are just some things that are too precious to ever let go.
I vowed last summer that I was going to go through that very large box of old letters and cards and let most of it go. Many of them were letters I myself had written at various stages of life and sent to my parents, only to get them back after they passed on. Wow - what I thought would be an afternoon task took much, much longer. So many pieces of me and also my family and friends. I did let some of them go, but in the end, I did feel there was real value to the bits and pieces and couldn't let most of them go. Like you said, they would have no value to anyone else and I just wasn't ready to assign them to the recycle bin!
Lovely light in this image. I just gave 4 bags of things we never use to Goodwill on Thursday and my soul feels cleansed.
looks so artistic and nice bokeh too!
I love the feel of open windows, fresh morning breeze and sun... I see the sun rise each morning, one of my best moments of the day that is...
as often happens to me and yes i agree with you when you say "this is not excess, this is the foundation" .
lovely work
love the purple spots in the sea of green
This is my copy-n-paste from what I just said at V&V:
Absolutely, Marcie. PLEASE keep those precious foundations of who you are. THEY are the ‘things’ that remind you of who you are and where you’ve come from. It would be a ‘sin’ to lose them or get rid of them, in my humble opinion. They’re like the traditions that define who we are. Sure, we can’t take them with us, but as long as we can view them, they do define us. I’m so glad you came to the same conclusion by the time I ended this lovely, nostalgic post. The other things can go; these must stay.
More of less. More for less. More with less. We all can learn from this lesson.
Nothing better than the air after a fresh spring rain & your beauties in my eyes. Excellent, Marcie!
All the best & safe travels,
Fritsch.
oh gosh, Marcie, you almost made me cry again, i have boxes just like that, they used to slide under my bed, but now they are in the living room... lovely picture by the way, it looks to be from an enchanted forest :)
Lovely photo and post, with lots of echoes for me ... .I keep handwritten letters but only a very few cards, and put them all in an album. 'Objects' like bits of hair and hospital bracelets of newborn children, I make scrapbook pages for. Other objects (and I have few) are on display if I love them and they have real connection value, or photographs of them put in an album and the objects themselves given away...
foundations always stay in the "KEEP" pile .. such a labor of love written here and the upright buds amid the green a lovely sight mingled among the breath of spring
Absolutely these are the foundations of who we are, who we have been, who we are yet to become. Mementos and reminders, facets of our past, little jewels in the pathway that fate has chosen along the way. I think each of us has a special place where we keep such items, that to the outside world hold little significance, and yet to us.... A delightful post Marcie and a lovely frame to compliment your inner most thoughts. Now if I were to open some of my hidden boxes, the can of worms that might ensue.........
Very delicate, and "fresh". Well done.
We are all definitely longing for spring everywhere around the world ! Exquiste colors among green !
What you describe about all the things you find in boxes, is the foundation. I kept some of my foundation after my move, I am glad Ginnie kept some of hers.
What will happen after I die.... I don't know, maybe my son will pick some things of his foundation too.
Spring, sun, air, I need to be outside, today I was at the river side (in bikini) to get some sun and air.....SPRING... Ginnie already knows that I become restless when the winter is gone.
The cleaning what I used to do....I did a little bit, I went through my clothes and decided NOT to throw out anything, I even bought an egg yellow Capri/like pants to wear to work.... SPRING...
Wonderful picture of the the tiny messenger of Spring, love the droplets of water.
The lovely fuschia buds jump out from the deep green foliage nicely.
So many of our "things" are in limbo. The pink buds show so much potential.
Gorgeous, rich colors to accompany your thoughts. What will happen to your treasures when you're gone? Someone who loved you will love those treasures for different reasons. Just an opinion.
so well said and an absolutely lovely photo capture!
I have a similar plan for decluttering. I haven't quite got around to starting yet though...
brilliant image Marcie. I truely admire and am inspired by your committment to a new image and new words every day.
Thank You!
beautiful
As always i love your prose Marcie as much as your new buds of spring....Penny has such treasure boxes...several of them in fact ....all filled with love ......her Tulips and Daffodil are coming up through the snow this morning....your photo of Spring's new life is a cracker my Lady....peter:)
Your version of decluttering and the important "keepers" is perfect! I need to get on that project. Spring is beautiful at your house - lovely image!
Very fresh and spring like and an amazing amount of detail!
I'm SO glad you didn't decide to toss those precious memories! Each item I read made me think of something I've hung onto, and I have no one to which to pass such treasures. But I'm cherishing them anyway. When I'm gone, someone else can make the call. For me, they are treasures.
I'm glad yours are still treasures, too!
Good for you for decluttering! A worthy endeavor. One I do too little of.
…this is not excess. This is the foundation. Marcie, you just shored up my foundation. Terah
Yes, every time I drive down to Boston to see my dad, I am amazed how much further spring has advanced than here in Maine. We're still deep in mud season and he has daffodils and green grass. Here's to spring - a season of hope after a long winter of doubt!
this seems like an alien landscape to me.. wonderful shot.. :)
excellent color!
Excellent, eloquent post on these mementos that chronicle a life lived--a very human quirk I think. Great thoughts and pic Marcie!