Cleaning Closets

Last night I began "Project: Closets" by starting in Zach's closet. This is where I discovered that my child did, indeed, have more than six long sleeve shirts. This is also where I discovered:
- shoes that had been long outgrown,
- a pillow sham that went to some bedding that I already gotten rid of,
- several jackets of mine that were crammed in the back, are circa 1994 and need to be thrown out
- all of the Christmas shirts that I had put away for Zach to wear this past year...oops!
- Zach has almost as many pairs of shoes as I do, especially when you add in the ones that did not fit.

It is interesting what you can find in a closet. But that, of course, got me thinking. If I were to think of my innermost self as my closet, what would be in it?

- Something I have held on to for no good reason? (like the shoes...)
- Something left over from issues already supposedly dealt with? (the pillow sham...)
- Something that I should have gotten rid of long ago? (the out-dated jackets...)
- Something that I have kept to myself and should have shared? (the Christmas shirts...)

Cleaning out the closets in our home is a semi-annual event that I thoroughly enjoy. But I have decided that I also need to clean out the closets in my heart. They can get junked up with things that I don't need and I can forget what is in there that is really important.

I enjoy cleaning closets because it gives a sense of renewal, peace and accomplishment. It makes life easier to not have the clutter. It makes me realize that if I will clean out the clutter in my life, I will experience that same peace.