During a recent deep cleaning/decluttering session of our home, I paused in our laundry room and let out a dramatic sigh as I stared at one annoying object.
“Honey … let’s get rid of this umbrella stand,” I said to my husband John. “I hate it. It’s always in the way and falls over constantly.” John’s eyebrows raised.
“Really? I thought you liked it.” He replied.
“I did when it was upstairs … but it’s never fit well in this room. Since it’s just the two of us, we can put our umbrellas in the coat closet. Time to kick this thing to the curb.”
Later, as I happily shoved the stand into the back of my car to be donated, I remembered the day my sister-in-law Janie gave it to me some 15 years ago. We were going through her storage facility before she and my brother moved.
“This would look so good in your house!” Janie exclaimed. At the time, I agreed with her. Our old home was the perfect setting for such a stand. When I placed it in our dining room, it looked like it had been there for decades.
We later moved it upstairs for an unusual purpose. My oldest son, Jonathon, enjoyed archery, so the stand became a cool place to store his arrows and other equipment. When he moved out in 2021, we brought the stand back downstairs.
At that point we had more items in the dining room, so the stand no longer fit. I placed it in the laundry/mud room by the back door, figuring we’d use it often since it is our primary entrance. But we ended up wrestling with the stand instead, as it’s a cramped room. The stand would often fall over and apart. And don’t get me started on the pain of dusting that sucker … it was a magnet for all things icky.
Ever since that Saturday morning, I’ve breathed a sigh of relief almost every day when I look at our laundry room.
How often do we hold onto an object just because someone gave it to us? At first, we’re grateful (if we like it). We don’t want to be unappreciative. Sometimes, we place it in our home and enjoy it for years. At other times, we may “regift it” and hope someone else will like it – being careful to not regift it where the original giver will see it!
Our needs change in time, and sometimes we outgrow the object. Our home, tastes, and situations are constantly evolving. If some things in your home just don’t fit any longer, consider selling, donating, or giving them to someone else. Who knows, they may bring joy and help another person more.
And if you experience guilt about this, remember most people don’t remember what they gave to someone (do YOU remember everything you’ve given to someone?) If you showed appreciation, it’s all good.
So, Readers, as we approach a new season and that “spring cleaning” time of year, I hope you’ll ask yourself, “What’s my umbrella stand?” and successfully declutter your own home. The relief will be enormous.
Amy Shankland is an empty-nester, writer, and fundraising professional living in Noblesville with her husband John and two dogs. You can reach her via email at amys@greenavenue.info.