You can make a difference, be clutter free

Laura M. Levering/Northwest Guardian

I hate clutter. My home is far from being perfectly organized, but if there’s one thing I’ve gotten better at doing, it’s making it clutter free ... Well, for the most part.

As much as I like having “stuff,” I also like being able to open my dresser drawer without glancing at a favorite pair of jeans from my high school days, swearing I’ll fit back into them again ... Or seeing box after box of baby clothes stacked in my son’s closet, hanging onto them “just in case.” Then there are the gadgets – lots of them. A popcorn maker I bought on clearance, or the closet so full of shoes I could no longer walk into my walk-in closet.

I haven’t always been clutter free. But after doing some pre-spring cleaning, and realizing just how much stuff I had, I knew I had to do something about it, and not just for the sake of de-cluttering, but because I often send myself on a guilt trip when I look at how much stuff I have, and think of those less fortunate.

Our spare room was soon transformed into a temporary storage space. Toys, boxes of maternity clothes, favorite high-heeled shoes that don’t do any good to my aching feet, nice clothes that for some reason hadn’t seen daylight for years and an array of odds and ends deserving a better fate than than collecting dust.

Instead of clinging to these items, I decided to let go, and donate them to charity. A friend told me she was gathering items to donate, too. A short time later, a trunk and backseat’s worth of stuff made it’s way to a community youth service center. I forgot the attachment I had to all of the stuff, and instead was elated ... thankful my stuff would be put to good use.

We too often get lost in the clutter of our lives, failing to help others when it is so easy to do so. And that doesn’t just mean clearing our clutter, but providing aid to others any way we can.

Soldiers have Army Emergency Relief, and Airmen have the Air Force Aid Society. Both nonprofit organizations rely on donations and give to back to service members during emergencies.

Whether you have items that can be better used elsewhere, or money to spare, do it. Give to someone or some organization you feel confident needs your help. Consider donating to AER or AFAS. In doing so, you’re helping fellow service members at a time in their lives when they need it most.

The point is, don’t waste another moment wondering how to make a difference ... Just do it. It’s really quite simple, and doesn’t have to take a lot of time or money. Lord knows I’ve been through some hard times in the past, and am grateful for those who helped pull me through them.