A few days ago I decided to undertake the Herculean task of cleaning out my closet. Time to get rid of the old clothes I don’t wear anymore (office attire, anyone?) and clear out some space. This ended up being a lot more difficult than I ever could have imagined – not that I was sad to see the old clothes go or for any kind of sentimental reasons, but rather, in many ways, I realized that (symbolically, anyway) I was cleaning out and getting rid of my old life.
Goodbye, dress I wore to my bridal shower. See you later, shirt from my brother’s memorial service. Peace out, business suits that were required attire at however many client meetings over the years.
Not to sound melodramatic but I really cannot understate how much my life has changed in the past few years. Good or bad, I have whiplash and am exhausted. Pulling item after item off of the shelves made this reality hit me like a ton of bricks and made me angry that so many of the positive changes are touched by sadness – my brother’s death, the end of my marriage. Why so much pain?
So good riddance. It’s time those old clothes get out of closet and out of my life. I really have no interest in being reminded of the sadness in the past.
It’s time for some “in with the new”. I can’t afford new clothes, but I have plenty of space available for new, happier memories.