And Out Came The Trash Bags

Today I committed myself to tackling our messy bedroom -- I will admit that I've never been too good at hanging my clothes up after I wear them. They end up piled on a chair in the corner, or on the chest at the end of the bed. And so after changing the sheets on the bed, I turned my attention to the piles. And something interesting happened.

As I began to sort through everything, I suddenly got struck with a strong desire to start finally doing the big purge of all the clothes that no longer fit me. I did a smaller one in the summer, but I held back on donating certain clothes that were quite beautiful and also expensive. Well, I decided it was time to let it all go. So I got a box of black trash bags and started in on everything.

First I went to my closet and pulled out sweaters, dresses, blazers, shirts and coats. Everything was 2X and 3X. Was I really that size? I quickly filled up seven trash bags. Then in went the belts. Soon there wasn't much left -- just a few 1X turtlenecks that have shrunk over time, a few XL cardigans I purchased years back when I was thinner, and some XL shirts I bought at the thrift store last week. Next I moved back to the bedroom and started in on my chest of drawers. Out went the women's sized pants, the bathing suits (sizes 22 and 24!), and the 2X cotton long-sleeved shirts. In went the XL shirts from my chair pile that I purchased at Target a few weeks ago. The shirt drawer is almost bare now. And I couldn't be happier.

I loaded all of the bags into my car and drove smiling to the Salvation Army drop box located down the street. One by one, I pushed the bags through the chute and instead of feeling guilt, I felt relieved to say goodbye to it all. I drove back home elated. The only bad thing is I now don't have much to wear, but I can build up a new wardrobe over time. I needed to do this. To say "goodbye" to the old, sad me and "hello" to the new, happy me. It feels a little bit awkward to now be shopping in the "normal" area of the department store, but that's where I go now. Time for another visit soon. I don't have much left to wear!