Friday, July 6, 2012

The Story of Our Bookcases

Several weeks ago, I decided that I needed to clean off the bookcases in our dining room.  They were dusty.  They were filled with things we no longer wanted or needed.  There were other things I wanted to put on the bookcase.  I wanted to reconfigure how the cases were arranged.  So one Saturday afternoon, I rolled up my sleeves and got to work. 

I took everything off the bookcases.  Some of the books went into boxes to give away.  Some things went into more long-term storage so they can be pulled out later.  Some of the items went into the trash can, along with a lot of garbage I didn't even realize was on the shelves.  I pulled each shelf out.  I dusted it.  I swept beneath and behind it.  I carefully replaced it.

I organized the books that were left so they were in categories.  I bought a few bins and put some things in them, making the items more accessible without creating more mess.  I brought out some items that I haven't had for a while and put them on the shelves.  I even hung some pictures to make the whole thing more lovely.

Sometimes in life we need to do some cleaning.  It means a lot of mess.  It means you might not be able to sit down on the sofa for a couple of days.  It means you discover more garbage than you thought there was.  It means you give some things away.  It means some things need to be stored away for a while, while other things can be brought out to be used.  It might mean that your loved ones are inconvenienced and have to live with your mess for a while.  Maybe they will help you.  Maybe they won't.  But in the end, it's going to be better for everyone.  In fact, it can even make your world more lovely.

3 comments:

amb said...

I hate cleaning when I'm doing it, but I'm always glad in the end! :)

The Vuki Family said...

Love-ly.....Doesn't clean feel wonderful?

Amy said...

amen. and also A PICTURE A PICTURE!!! please!