I feel so blessed in life right now. God IS good. Don’t get me wrong, I have days that are plenty hard, but what an overwhelming joy it is to just be, and exist, in this world with two beautiful children.
With more children comes more STUFF. I feel like our house is jam packed full of STUFF! Part of that is my fault. I like to keep everything, and everything has special meaning to me. “Oh, that little sticker Harper gave me, well I might want to scrapbook book it so I can remember these days. That box this toy came in, I might need it again sometime. That picture frame, I might use it, eventually.” No, no! Some things are worth saving, but we have entirely too much. It feel SO good to purge and get rid of it, lately. Anytime I put something else it the garage sale or give away box, it makes me feel good, and like I’m one step closer to a clean house. The last few weeks, I’ve spent all the time cleaning. And yet somehow my house still isn’t clean? But it’s getting there! At the end of the day, I can put up a few things, and it’s overall clean. We are in the process of making my “craft room” the kids playroom, so they can have a space for ALL the toys. I’d rather sacrifice my space, than the whole rest of the house, for the toy storage. Besides, their bedroom is full enough as it is. This comes with a compromise, as I’ve decided to turn the “dining room” into my office. Instead of being a crazy chaotic craft room, I just want a nice, professional, set-up. Looking forward to seeing that come to life, and it’s my inspiration to get rid of more junk.
We have been so blessed, however, in which we’ve accumulated everything. I didn’t even have a shower for Max, and yet we have everything we need and more. Harper gets a new toy or something, it literally seems like every day. I counted once and it was like 15 days in a row that she got something new. This is good and bad. Good because it just means she has that many people that love her. The love pours out from our family, and it’s a token of appreciation/love to get a gift or treat. They want to spoil her and treat her, as do we, the parents. Between four sets of great-grandparents alone, she gets lots of goodies. Then the grandparents, great-aunts and uncles, aunts and uncles, mom and dad, friends… let’s just say I appreciate it all!! I love to get her stuff myself. Kyle and I are both very guilty of it, too. It’s hard not to, because I know at the time, whatever it is, will make her smile, and that’s worth everything. BUT, some of it’s gotta go! Luckily, many of her toys are unisex and can be used again by little brother. The clothes I plan to use again someday for another baby. The bad part is getting rid of stuff, because like I said, it means something to me. Every little thing, and I don’t know where to start with her stuff. (Maybe that’s why she’s getting a whole room to store her toys.) The bad part is, maybe not right now when she’s two, but later on.. I don’t want her to feel entitled to something new every time she sees someone, or we’re out at the store. To expect it. To think she needs it to feel happy. I mean, an important lesson in life is to have what you love, but also to love what you have. To appreciate what you have, and not necessarily need more. To appreciate the new toy you just got, instead of throwing it down the next day for another new toy. To take care of the things you have, instead of knowing you can just get a new one. To truly appreciate nice gifts, from the person who gave it, to show gratitude. And to have time to appreciate it instead of always having the next new thing. To not feel bad and heartbroken, when we say no to something. To not see a toy in a magazine or on TV and automatically think you need or want it, and then to expect it to be bought for you. To let your hard work pay off, and work toward buying something yourself, and know that feeling. And the main one- to know it’s better to give than to receive. Oh it’s so hard, it really is, because this is setting her up for a lifetime of entitlement, if we keep on. She means the world to us, and we want to spoil her. She deserves whatever she wants, in our opinion. But there’s a line to be drawn, and limits to be made. I want a genuinely appreciative and gracious child, not a spoiled brat. I hope we figure it out sooner than later. We definitely realized at Christmas time how overboard we went there. And what a silly, but “good”, first world problem to have. Some children don’t have shoes to wear, or sheets on their bed to sleep in, or even a bed. And I’m complaining because she has too many toys. But that’s the point I think, ultimately. Our money could be going toward things much greater than a new set of stickers or a new hello kitty. It makes me sick to know she has so much, and other kids so little. I’m working on that. I’m praying for God to direct me to be strong enough to have self-control in purchases, confident enough to stand up for this belief among others, the ability to get rid and give to those in need, possibly setting up an organization in the future to pay-it-forward with our unneeded things to those who do. That would be ideal.
Until then, stay tuned. I know from my own experience how it is to be spoiled, and can see others in even worse cases, so I can speak on it. We all have good intentions, but they sometimes lead to bad outcomes. Besides becoming a brat, just being a packrat, for example. I can look around at all the clutter I’ve lived with for 24 years and know that a more simplified lifestyle is to be desired. Simplifying our life has become a great task ahead, but it’s already paying off. I haven’t had much more “extra” time without TV, but I’ve had some, and it’s nice. I will have more time to spend on doing the things I want to do, instead of cleaning up so much, with less stuff. That I’m looking forward to.
Sevenly Bliss 