My old friend is coming to visit us in May.  I have decided to declutter the house to make her stay more comfortable and also ours.

It was quite a job but once I started, I really felt good.  My husband was affected too.  He finally cleared lots of recyclable boxes out of the guestroom.  I took my time as I didn't want to stress myself out.  Stress kills!  Avoid it as much as you can.

De-cluttering is also cleansing for our soul, purging our attachments to this material world.  It is a very emotional process.  Every piece of article has an emotional attachment.  My daughter's school artwork, tests, written homework,... bring back lots of memories.  Some are good, some are bad, and some very painful.

I learned that when an item has not been used for more than a year, it's high time to give it away or throw it out to recycling or garbage bin.

I still have three weeks left and hope to finish before my friend arrives.  We can enjoy the rest of her stay, catching up with our pasts and present.