Packing

I am a master-packer. It stems from the days when my husband and I lived in a 425 square foot apartment in California. I was able to make room for all our stuff and add to it for five and a half years. Being a bit of a maximalist, I got good at making room. When it came time to move, we got a place with twice the space, so along came all of our stuff. Then we had a baby and babies take up a lot more room with all their stuff, so we looked for a place where we could grow. And…we found it! When we got here, there was so much room and so much storage we couldn’t ever imagine filling it all up. We did though.

Based on the title and first paragraph, I bet you think I have been packing my own stuff to move. Nope. As the fates have it, I have been helping my second- born minimalist pack up to move far, far away. In fact, I helped her to organize, then pack, then re-pack in order to fit everything. She has purged and purged again, getting things down to the bare minimum and leaving the bare minimum at my house, which is in a much colder climate than where she will be,

This has got me thinking - my house is filled with stuff: some of the stuff I use regularly, some of the stuff holds dear memories, and some of the stuff is “unknown” - perhaps an old treasure, or more likely an “I’ll deal with it later” sort of thing. It’s the same with us, right?

When my dad died, and I was 15, I spent that day really thinking about his death and how surreal it felt. I was glad he wasn’t suffering in his body anymore, but I was sad that he wasn’t around to teach me to drive, to meet my boyfriends, to walk me down the aisle, or meet my someday babies. Then…I decided I didn’t want to focus on that, so I packed it away. It would sometimes creep to the surface, and I would shed a tear or two, but then I would focus on something else and pack it back away. Now, nearly 40 years later, I’ve been unpacking some of it and shedding some of the tears I should have released long ago.

There have been other things I’ve packed away over the years; not just every princess picture my oldest ever drew, or every list my youngest ever made, but things that should never have been kept around for so long, like the play doh projects that are all salt-crystal-y. There are things crystallizing within each of us that have no business being there. Anything that really tugs at my heartstrings is worth pulling out my phone and taking a photo. Sometimes, it’s just about keeping the lesson and letting the heavy baggage go.

My children have been wonderful teachers in my life. They’ve spent a lot of their lessons teaching me to let go: let go of what I thought or who I thought they should be, let go of stuff they don’t care about that I’m putting too much importance on, let go of stuff I don’t use and don’t want, let go of junk. I must say- I’m awfully motivated to go through my house and purge the stuff collecting dust like my daughter so easily has been doing, but also, it’s time to go through my mind and let go of the thoughts that are no longer serving me. It’s time to let go of behaviors that get in the way my freedom and peace. It’s time to quit packing and start unpacking. This journey of life is long. I think I’ll focus on taking the lessons, and leaving the junk behind.

Angels are letting us know that they are here to help us lighten our load. We don’t have to pack up stuff and carry it our entire life. We can take the lessons and unburden ourselves from lugging around boxes and bins of musty, dusty, corroded junk. It’s funny, because as we allow angels into our life, we find that things and thoughts that once had a major hold on us are magically unimportant. It’s as if the space they’ve been taking up is replaced by something much more satisfying and filling than what was there before.

Some of the ways I’ve used to unpack my baggage are: journaling, meditating, reiki and other energy healing sessions, going for walks or driving without listening to anything but the thoughts in my head. In fact, I can confidently say that I’ve cleared more out of my psyche in the last few years than I have out of my home (and I’ve made quite a few donation runs!). One of the things that has helped me is knowing that Angels are on my side, helping calm me when things feel rough for a bit. I can guarantee they are by your side too. If you’re ready to unpack a something you’ve been storing for so long that you’re not sure what all is in there anymore, ask your angels to assist you. They will send the loving energy you need to get through the task. And, if you would like human help, reach out to me. I would be glad to help you with a reiki healing session, a reading for clarity and guidance, or even a reiki class to help you on your journey to healing yourself.

Peace and Light,

Margaret Rose

651.442.3732

peacefulsoulutions@gmail.com