In response to a Wall Street Journal article about conquering the emotional minefields that come with tidying up, readers sent their own thoughts and tips for how to deal with clutter.
The word I chose for 2021 was SHED—slimming down with projects, shedding my expectations, shedding extra “stuff” piled around the house and on my work desk and shedding pounds with exercising more. I really identified with the idea of more had to go out than in. YES! Also, I loved identifying sensitive areas or items.
Our shelter in place order is still outstanding here. 2020 was a year of panic and planning on the verge of hoarding! Supplies and food stocked up. We geared up for the unknown. Yet, here we are in 2021, and the clutter has multiplied with closets bursting. The freezer is packed for an apocalypse. Can we relax? It is time to breathe a sigh of relief. Yes, we are not through the pandemic yet. However, we are OK. We have enough. Eat the food in the freezer. It is time to shed!
Madelyn Ripken Kolber
Lodi, Calif.
