Less is More.

Some people look under their child's bed to make sure there are no monsters. Yesterday I looked under Eliza's bed knowing I would find a lifetime of cherished memories packed away gathering dust. Some I would choose to hold onto but most I would donate in hopes they would come back to life after spending years buried in the dark. It was my very own version of Toy Story, where the toys come to life after being liberated. The scope of letting go in my life is an enormous project I have taken on. It's about honoring the journey and standing tall in the present. Everywhere I look I see the lesson before me which is about bringing my life to its current place. I certainly have kept a few of these treasures to honor the soft spot they made in my heart. But most can do more good elsewhere.

So I spent several hours of my Sunday combing through the piles of Eliza's childhood remembrances; books,notes, clothing, pillows, stickers. I'm not giving away any precious moments They are forever stored in my soul. Surprisingly, there were no tears. That was last year. I believe the work I did preparing to let go was more difficult than the actual process and perhaps that's because I did the work. I wouldn't even attempt to count the tears I shed sitting on Caroline Wybar's couch. Studying the Sutras was an emotional upheaval that I couldn't have anticipated. Lest you think that doing a 300 hour TT is all about moving your body. For me, it was every bit as much about shifting the way I looked at my world. And in doing so, I realized that my "stuff" was weighing me down.

I hope this little doll baby makes some little girl as happy as she made Eliza. She was the hardest one to give away but all I could picture was some sweet little one holding on to her for dear life and there she went. I hope somebody falls as madly in love with Justin Bieber as Liza was... for years. I remember picking her up from his movie with some friends and listening to her sob in the backseat saying over and over, "I just love him so much!" The pop up was waiting for her on her 14th birthday. It would make me so happy if someone sees this post and decorates an envelope for a child they adore like I did for so many care packages to camp. They made Eliza feel special. And I truly hope that these invites I created inspire a DIY invite of your own for some celebration to come. Invitations set the mood for any celebration.

I have finally had the epiphany that sometimes the stuff just makes you feel bogged down. And while I still have plenty of it, I am finally well on my way to lightening up and creating space for what's to come. Repeat after me, "Less is more". I never expected to find such pleasure in giving away the things that brought my family such great joy but they are only "things". If I am able to pay it forward by giving them away and allowing them to bring happiness to others, I will have learned my great lesson in life. You can't take it with you 💝