Finding a Miracle in the Chaos

I admit it - I have been distracted, annoyed, distant, exhausted. My creativity has been zero. And yet out of this - one moment of concern brought about an amazing thing...

Every year I try to do something during the holidays for someone in need. This year I worked with the United Way Committee at the Telegram to help with fund raisers and pledges, and a couple of weeks ago we received an email with a wish list of local agencies hoping for help with making the holidays special for the people they care for. These people work hard all year round, in real situations, to make life work for so many people.  I saw one agency on the list that is a residential home for teen girls and decided that I would do something for them.

What happened after that is my own personal Christmas miracle. I mentioned to a couple of people at work, and out, that I was planning to do a small gift for each of the girls and one by one people started to help. A special thank you to Robin and Terri for helping with everything - to make this possible.

Gifts ranged from $1.00 for each of the girls, to a gift card and plush throw for each of them. And so it began.  Where it ended was so amazing that it brings tears to my eyes each time I think of it.

Cookies and hot chocolate, pancakes and syrup, fruit and juice for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning.

A gift bag with an amazing amount of gifts. Handmade scarves, gift cards, cash, blankets, gloves, nail polish, candy, etc. etc. Everything to make a teen feel warm and special. There were also bags and bags of donations other than the gifts...

each girl received a stocking full of candy and small gifts

gift cards, wallets, t-shirts

Toiletries

gloves, socks and more gloves

Pretty in a gift box

Stockings, cookies and more!

Each of the 10 girls received one of these bags 

Extra donations - other than gifts

The generosity of my coworkers and family and friends is overwhelming.

The lives of the ten girls that received these gifts, the workers that live with them, and I think, all of us that contributed - are changed.  It is amazing how everyone giving just a little, can change us all.

I am changed, my heart is larger, and I am seeing clearly in the chaos that surrounds the day to day.

I see clearly again what truly matters. Not just at Christmas, but every day...we desperately need each other, and in so many more ways than we can even think of or understand.

When my kids were little they would ask me if there was a Santa Claus, and I would repeat to them every year, and still repeat "there are gifts under our tree every year that we don't buy - there is absolutely a Santa Claus".

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year - may we all find our miracles as we need them.

Days 10, 11 & 12: Minimalism Game

Nov. 10th, 11th & 12th of The Game:  Clothing

I washed, dried and piled every piece of clothing I own on a table in the basement and sorted everything out by type. I thought this would take me a week to do, but instead it was done mostly on Sunday.

What I found is a confirmation of what I have been feeling lately - I don't need to buy anything new. I thought this process would take me the week, but found that I have pared down my clothing over the past year, and although it was still too much to keep track of, it was already down by 1/2.

After everything was sorted, I started by taking out everything ripped, wrong-sized, and anything I wore that I really didn't like - either style, fabric, color or how it fit.

I sorted summer, and put it away. Sorted winter and hung anything that could be layered or worn year round in the closet. Everything is organized, has a place to be put away and I like to wear everything I kept. I am leaving this open for six months - if I don't wear the things I kept by June, I will also donate them.

The piles of donations/trash are a combination of shirts, t-shirts, dresses, pants, accessories, pairs of socks, and undergarments.  Days 10, 11 & 12 add up to 33 items. With the previous jacket & sweater and shoe days (17 items) the grand total is 50 pieces trashed or donated out of my closet. Not sacrificing, not any kind of difficult letting go of anything...just the extras and unused. Someone else might be able to these things, because I clearly am not.

Days 8,  9, 10, 11 & 12 = 50 items

What I kept:

Everything - coats, sweaters, dress clothes & casual.

I use a 9 cube for storage of clothes that are not hung: Summer shorts & shirts (1) , t-shirts (1), summer pj's (1), winter pj's (1), undergarments (2), socks (1), gloves & scarves (1), sweats/sweatshirts (1)

I think a good measure for me is that if it can't fit in that cube, something has to go. I need a visual measurement like this to keep on track.

9 - cube storage for all clothes that aren't hung in the closet

The revelation? I wrote 2000 words for my novel today while I was home sick and resting. 2000 words! And I have hours left to write tonight...

I felt that with the letting go of each item, each pile, each vulnerability shared about the items...I created room somehow for creativity and the telling of the story.  So I have great incentive to continue on. At first I was trying just to reach the number on the day, and I still will - but I imagine that when I get to other parts of the house, the numbers will be met easily and in the end the house will hold only the things I use and need, and the story I have held onto for several years will be written.

And after that? There will be room for whatever is next...

A New Kind of Game: Days 1-7

I really enjoy the writings and attitude of The Minimalists 

and although I missed the first round, 

I am playing The Minimalist Game for November...

Here's how it works - on November 1st, I got rid of one thing, the 2nd, two...

the 3rd, three and will continue on through to November 30th...30 things!

Here is my first week, not difficult to get rid of things out of excess, 

but I expect that it will get more interesting as the days go on...

I think the stories are important - so here they are. 

A bit vulnerable for me, but necessary for this process.  

Day 1: A broken frame, boxed and useless - tucked in between two pieces of furniture 

in the basement for, I would estimate, 8 years.

Day 2: The last of the television graveyard - two 15" televisions that are never used.

Day 3:  The story of FREE - Giveaway metal drinking containers, piled on a shelf, and very clearly collecting dust. My advice is to stay away from the giveaways...

Volunteer, clean up, give your time, but leave the free stuff there.

Day 4:  Four boxed things that haven't been touched since childhood 

or silly whims abandoned them.

Day 5:  Harry Potter Collectibles, dusted off for E-bay.

If they don't sell - they aren't mine and will leave the house another way.

It's important that my November be my stuff, but I can help get things ready for selling 

or donating if other family members want to play too!

Day 6:  Opened a drawer in the basement and found a strange array of empty containers and 

covers to things long gone...I think of this as the "what if I need it someday" dilemma. 

More to come on this as the days go on...

Day 7:  Miscellaneous cookbooks - duplicates or destroyed from use.

Books are being recycled or donated as needed.

Reflection from the first 7 days?  

There are 3 empty shelves and a couple of recycling bins ready to go.

I'm putting the Bagster out in the driveway and bagging stuff up to donate.

I am enjoying the Minimalist Game! I haven't known where to start, 

and even though this is a slow start, 

I expect that I will be changed by the end of it.

I am doing this to make room for people, and stories I want to write,

to simplify what I need to do each day and make my daily routine easier.

Who wants to play?

Start where you are and do what you can...

Less is most definitely more.