Getting rid of my Excess

I haven't written a lot lately and for that I apologize! This whole "getting a new job and trying to teach myself to get up early and get to bed on time" has been a challenge!

But I can tell you a little story about giving.

I had gotten a newer mattress on Craigslist (CL) recently and had my old one that I obviously wasn't going to throw away.
So I really wanted to give it to someone who truly NEEDED one--not just someone who wanted a bed for one of their many bedrooms or something. Usually when I'm looking for people who have true needs I post it on Freecycle because they aren't as flaky as CL listers. A lady contacted me and told me her story and she got my mattress. Her story is not unlike what you hear these days (sadly): domestic abuse, left Utah to move up here and is starting over from SCRATCH with her 5 kids. Her kids had been sleeping on air mattresses and sharing them too. Not fun.
Before she came I started thinking what else she might need....bedsheets and maybe that dresser I don't really NEED because its not being used. Bingo.
Do I really need 10 sets of sheets??
I don't even have more then one full sized bed in the entire house! And who changes their sheets THAT much and then doesn't do laundry!?!?! Not I. So I gave her 7 sets of sheets for the mattress.
And that dresser?
Yeah, she took that too and a box of Noah's old toys.

So it worked out. We blessed her, she got some stuff she really needed and everyone left happy. I felt so good having extra crap just be gone out of my house and it made me feel very clean. Of course we all know that giving is so good. It pays you back in so many ways. But when I really sat down and thought about having to start over--it was overwhelming. I didn't' want her to have to keep looking for free stuff on CL or Craigslist and why not get rid of my "excess." I don't miss it and honestly it made me really look at all that I HAVE. Reality is I don't NEED it and CAN live without 17 sets of sheets.

I used to think having MORE then enough was the goal. Now just having enough is truly enough. Less to clean anyway!

Consider it. You might really wonder why you need 5 winter coats or 8 scarves this winter....or why do you need a closet full of blankets when you would never have that many guests over to use them in a lifetime.
Makes you look at your stuff as gifts rather then NEEDS.
Life is good and you know what else?
We delivered her stuff to her home and loaded it up the 2 flights to stairs to her apartment. Her kids couldn't do that and really, why wouldn't we?