Journaling Challenge 14: Spring Cleaning
Happy Friday, story-tellers! This is Nikki (NikkiFB) with your weekly journaling challenge. During the month of April we’re focusing on the theme of renewal. As the child and grandchild of committed spring-cleaners, at this time of year I have very specific memories of my mom and grandma tidying and scrubbing their homes for spring. Clean the windows so they can be opened up to let the breezes blow through; pack away the wintery quilts and blankets; fill boxes of unwanted sit-arounds to take to Goodwill. Spring cleaning, somehow, was never just about the cleaning itself, but about that feeling of freshness and spaciousness that we were all ready for after a cozy but cooped-up winter.
And spring cleaning also isn’t just about cleaning the house itself. When springtime starts, I get motivated to “spring clean” my choices, my feelings… to take care of that sense of being “cooped up” on the inside, as well as the outside. As the days get longer and the sun gets warmer, I want to tidy up and purge the clutter. I want to stretch my wings; I want to be able to open my windows and let fresh air blow through. Sometimes this does mean actually cleaning house, the physical space I live in—refreshing my home with a tidier workspace, caught-up laundry, a carload of Goodwill donations, or even new furniture arrangements—so that I feel newness and spaciousness in our family life. Though I’m afraid that the window-washing gene must have skipped this generation, I still know that the state of my home very much affects my state of mind!
I started digi-scrapping two years ago, in the springtime, so at this time every year I also get motivated to clean up my digi scrap stash! Not only is it encouraging to see how far I’ve come and how my tastes have changed, but I rediscover fabulous kits I’ve forgotten about when I start sorting through the digital “clutter” I’ve been saving! As with physical stuff, it can be liberating to admit “I am never going to use that!” and let it go!
Most often, though, my spring cleaning happens emotionally. As with New Years resolutions, I’m motivated in the spring to make better choices that will help me to feel renewed: to do more “clean” eating, to reconnect with friends I’ve been missing, to say “no” to activities that feel like just one more thing cluttering my calendar.
This Week’s Challenge
Write about your own spring cleaning activities, whether physical or emotional. Do you clean house the way your mother or grandmother did? What does it mean to you to pack away winter clothes, or to open the windows and hear the birds singing?
Or do you need to “clean house” emotionally this spring? What kinds of clutter could you let go? Do you need more space in your inner life? Are you ready to shake off your confining cocoon and stretch your wings?
What forgotten treasures might you discover if you were to spring clean your home, your stash, or your self?
Just write a few paragraphs, and when you are finished, come back and let us know what you’ve done! If you’ve blogged, you can link us up. If you’ve journaled on paper, take a quick picture. Whatever you decide to do, we’d love to have you come and share it with us!
~ Nikki
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