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Making Room

When we clear out stuff, we make room for people.  http://www.imperfecthomemaking.com/2011/10/31-days-to-organized-home-day-one.html

This is not a new topic to the 365.  :)  Obviously, however, it is one of my most favorite topics!
I love clearing out stuff that we haven't touched, used, thought about in 6 months or more.  In fact, I'm getting ready to go through some tubs again and see what we can get out of our home because it is taking up space. My house isn't a place where stuff is takes precedence over people but I practice keeping our material possessions to a minimum because I don't ever want it to get to a place where it does.  When I watch shows like "Hoarders" and see how family members and friends don't feel welcome and feel pushed out of their loved ones life because of stuff I feel sad.  How tragic to send the message that this thing (whatever it may be) is more important than a spouse or someone else who loves you.
This got me to thinking, though, about the subtle hoarding we do.  The hoarding we can't see with the naked eye but the heart sees all too clearly.  For example, I know many many people who love them some Xbox, Wii, whatever it may be.  They play games in most of their free time.  They spend money, usually most of the time money they don't have or could use in other more productive ways, on getting the newest version of games, etc.  They stay up all hours of the day glued to the game of choice.  They ignore people around them because of gaming.  They ignore that there is real life happening just in the next room.  These people are hoarders of a different variety.  They are hoarding money to spend on the newest and best of their gaming addiction.  They are hoarding themselves, unwilling to share their time with others.  They are hoarding their time for their gaming.  And all this hoarding sends the message that they would rather be with a game than with living breathing people who feel and would make them feel.
That's the issue here.  Sometimes we don't want to feel.  So we cushion ourselves with stuff to keep the feelings out and usually that means we keep the people out too because people make us feel.  But when the stuff, visible to the naked eye or not, is removed then we make room for people...and feelings.  What might you be trying to cushion yourself from with your subtle or not so subtle hoarding?  Be brave enough to let go of the stuff and welcome people, and feelings, back in.

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