Therapy

I'm kind of an organization junkie, which is obvious by the sheer amount of CONTAINERS I'm finding as I sort through things. As I've transferred stuff (paper clips, markers, staples, toys, you name it) from one container to another, it's been very therapeutic. When I left the classroom, I packed up a lot of my boxes and brought them home. Those boxes (labeled, of course, pens, pencils, paper clips, etc.) have lived in various places in our office over the past 5 years. Today, I'm letting go of those boxes. It's a small step, you might think, but for me it's huge--I'm letting go of an old system that worked for me for 7 years in my classrooms, and I'm letting go of stuff, and I'm letting go of boxes. If you tend to...um...save things for a rainy day like I do, you can understand that feeling of, "oh, no, don't let THAT go--what if you NEED it someday?" It's a crappy feeling that keeps rearing its head as I work this morning. But an even better feeling is being able to say, "if I need it someday, God will provide another for me." And mean it.

I feel like 2009 has been cathartic in so many ways. We've shed the way we used to think about money (which, really, was to NOT to), and now I'm taking the next big step in letting go of stuff. Which isn't to say that I HAVEN'T been letting go of stuff all year long, but now I'm letting go of MY stuff. The stuff that ties me to my old classrooms, my old life, my old friends...the old me. I'm not a teacher anymore, which has taken me a lot of years to say. I haven't said it out loud, yet, but I'm getting there. :) 2009 was a trial by fire, and my family and I have emerged as the same beings, only forged a little stronger, a little purer in a lot of ways. Who's singing "Refiner's Fire" right now? Come on, it can't just be me...

As I've waded through all of this STUFF the past few days, I've come to think of organization as just another relationship: the relationship between my stuff and me. And like any good relationship, every now and again you have to talk it through, re-evaluate where you stand. Clearly, it's time for my stuff and me to take it to the next level. I'm confident that we can work together to make 2010 a banner year. One marked by organization and accountability--to God, to myself, to my family, and yes, to my stuff. Who's with me??

Oh, and while I'm asking questions, I need some help. We've got TONS of artwork from Kayci, and Noble's about to start bringing it in. Right now her stuff is in a few different containers, but it's in absolutely no order and it takes up TONS of space. And we never look at it. :( So what have y'all done (or seen) to organize and preserve kids' artwork? Help!!!