For the better part of the last 3 months, John and I have been in quarantine. We’ve done a few small projects around the house, but we finally decided to address our crawlspace. We have EVERYTHING stuffed into this tiny space – from baby clothes to furniture.
The whole process started when we were switching out the kids’ winter/summer wardrobe. It was incredibly hard to reach the clothing bins, because we had so much baby gear in the way. John bluntly told me that we needed to get rid of the clutter. It was like a punch in the stomach.
Most of our baby gear has been around since our first daughter was born, and getting rid of it is heartbreaking. Now that our last baby is walking, I know that it’s ridiculous to keep everything. But my mama heart hurts at the thought of letting go of this phase of life. Man, this parenting gig never gets easier!
After brooding for a few days, I started listing various items from our crawlspace on Facebook Marketplace. Our double stroller sold first. It was hard, but bearable. After all, we have other strollers which are still in use. Next came the baby swing. This one was harder. I irrationally wanted to cancel the whole transaction before the person arrived. Then, over the weekend, I sold my 75 gallon fish tank. I had this tank while I was in college. Although I wasn’t expecting it, this was the biggest emotional blow. It was like selling the last remnants of my youth.
I didn’t realize how wrapped up I was in my belongings. I have fantasies of being a minimalist, but this past week has taught me that I have a loooong way to go before I reach that point.
After all of this emotional drama, I have to admit that it feels good to be free of some of the clutter. We are hoping to sell more baby gear and furniture in the coming weeks. I don’t expect it to get any easier. Although quarantine has been a pain, at least we’re finally getting around to all the tasks we’ve been putting off for years.