"I've decided I need to pretend I'm dead," I announced today. Naturally, the Caveman was concerned ... but it's not that I actually wish I was dead, it's just that it will make cleaning the house easier.Let me explain.
It's Spring Cleaning time, if you go in for that sort of thing. I don't usually, but I feel we are due for another big clean-out right now. I'm not too worried about washing the curtains though, I'm more interested in getting rid of stuff. I wouldn't say we're hoarders, but we tend to be a bit slow about throwing things out that we don't need or can't use anymore. This wouldn't be a problem if there were only one or two of us in the house, but with five? There is always more clutter coming in than there is going out ... not to mention the general untidiness that three kids can create on a daily basis.
It's also a pet peeve of mine to have someone walk in after I've cleaned and announce, 'Wow, this is clean!' It's like saying, 'Wow, this is usually a mess!'. I already know I'm not the world's greatest housekeeper, so having less in the house to start with would be a big help with my everyday cleaning. Very often, simply removing some clutter can make the biggest visual impact.
In recent years, my own Mum has whittled her belongings down to only what she needs. I am always impressed when I visit and her house is so tidy. Of course, she has no children to clean up after anymore (and I remember what a mess we used to make!). Every now and then she has another big clean-out and gets rid of even more stuff. Her theory is that, by doing this, she is saving a lot of work for her children when she dies. It's a sound theory too. When the Caveman's father died a few years ago, we took all of his things into our house - furniture and all. It was crowded. We had an entire room we didn't use for months, because it was full of his stuff. No one could do anything until the Caveman was ready to deal with it, and it can be difficult to sort through belongings that you have grown up with and associated with one person your whole life. Throwing those things away can feel like you're throwing away another part of the person you're already missing so much.
When we finally got to it though, it turned out there was a lot we were prepared to let go of. In fact, it was a great lesson for us - discovering that there was no need to hold onto things to 'remember him by'. Our memories of him were what really mattered, along with photos and just a few little items that are genuinely sentimental to us.
So, my plan is to copy my Mum and do my clean-out accordingly. It will take time, because the Caveman and I are both working now, but it has to be done. We have too much stuff of our own which, if I'm honest, is not going to be special to anyone else in the long run.
Hopefully, by the time I die, the kids will have full houses of their own - in which case, the last thing they will need is more of our crap in their way!
