My turn: By the Same Token

So I spent last weekend (and I do mean most of the weekend) organizing all this crap in my basement. Most of my more recent stuff was in OK shape for regular storage, but there were all these boxes of stuff that I had left over at my mom's when I moved out. She finally asked me to clean out my old closet, at least a little bit, so a long term guest could use it. I didn't think it was fair to keep clogging up her space, so a couple of friends and I brought the crap over and dumped the boxes in this one part of my basement. It's stuff that I haven't touched in years, so needless to say, I reduced about a third of it down from 7 boxes to 1 (keeping gifts from my now deceased grandmother, for example, but pitching or taking the rest to Goodwill). I've still got much work to do but Brian's at least got one whole wall that he can put his shelves and boxes up against. More space will eventually exist.

The point of this blog, though, is not to talk about just the procedural or logistical aspects of moving in together. It's actually to talk about something that I recognized was happening with Brian's new presence in my life. I've noticed before all the things he is bringing in to my life - cool friends, frequent theatre visits, and so forth. But what I saw this weekend, too, was this wonderful opportunity to get rid of stuff as well. I mean, of all the reasons one could have to go through musty, dusty boxes, isn't the fact that you're doing it 'cause you've fallen in love with someone and that someone has fallen in love with you and is now moving in so you need more space in the basement an absolutely great reason to have to go through musty, dusty boxes?

And I don't think the whole outward flow of crap has to stop with boxes and papers that Lord only knows why I kept in the first place. I think I can use this as a wonderful opportunity to let go of some emotional baggage, too. I haven't figured out exactly how I would do that, or what I would let go of, but hey - I really, really like the idea. It's the concept: he's bringing great things to my life by being in it, and by the same token, is leading to the release of not so good stuff. He's doing the same thing, too, by giving away some of his old books and things. We're both making room for each other.

I have to say, I feel a great sense of relief at relieving myself of items, paring down, as it were. And if I can somehow parlay the experience into a metabolization of emotional or spiritual debris as well, then double-kudos to Brian for entering my life.