I finally threw away my basket full of unmatched socks.
If you read my blog regularly, you might remember my post about it from 2018.
This basket of socks started nearly 10 years ago when I moved into my apartment after my divorce.
It sat on the shelf above my washer and dryer in that apartment, collecting socks with practically every load of laundry.
And then I moved that basket of socks (and remember they didn't have matches!) into my new house more than three years ago.
It's had a space on the shelf in my laundry room here since then. Collecting more lonely socks.
I was on a mission a couple weeks ago to organize my closets. They had gotten so messy, I could barely get things in and out and had lost track of what I even had in my wardrobe.
I needed to get things in order.
So I purged - my bedroom closet, my office closet, both coat closets. And my dresser drawers.
As I was going through my sock drawer, I found a couple that didn't have matches. And it reminded me about this basket.
I started going through it, and it was interesting how socks can bring back memories.
Socks from the last ten years of our lives were in that basket.
Socks from when Jacob still had little boy feet.
Socks from before Ryder's feet were longer than my forearm (he's a 12 1/2!)
Socks from sports teams.
Socks from those trampoline jumping places.
Even socks from the hospital with the little grippers on the bottom.
Who knew there were so many kinds of socks?
And seriously....where DO all the socks go?
It made me laugh as I thought about the memories, where those socks had been, and how much life we've lived in the past ten years.
And it made me think about the things that we hold onto in life.
In my laundry room: a basket of socks with no partners.
In my refrigerator: condiment packets, mini jars of jelly, single servings of butter from takeout dinners.
In my junk drawer: cords for appliances I don't even own anymore, burnt out light bulbs (because you can't just throw them in the trash!)
In my dresser drawer: receipts from Christmas gifts from multiple years ago, shoelaces for shoes I don't even own.
Complete randomness.
I guess it brings a level of comfort. To hold onto those little things.
We may need those shoelaces someday, right?
But sometimes, when we hold onto too much, it can be hard to think. It can be hard to find the space to breathe and relax.
Every once in awhile, we need to purge and let go.
I threw every single lonely sock away.
And even donated that orange basket.
That laundry room shelf is now home to a pretty new basket that holds my fabric softener sheets. (Bonus: it smells good too)
And after the trip to donate a carful of bags and boxes, I came home to a more organized, less cluttered space.
I'm trying to hold onto less stuff these days - both physically and mentally.
Some days it's easier than others.
Don't get me wrong, I've still got plenty of clutter here. And I shake my head whenever I open my junk drawer.
But I'm making progress.
One step at a time 😉
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