Cleaning Out My Closet: The Little Jewel I Found

Cleaning out the closet is not only a physical act, but it is also a metaphorical phrase that was used long before Eminem threw the term in front of a rap beat.  And although it feels great to go through with the metaphorical act, it also feels good to do the physical, and that's exactly what I did this weekend.  I cleaned out my closet.


I took everything out of the closet, vacuumed, cleaned the baseboards, wiped down the drawers and shelves, and then put all of the belonging that I wanted to keep, back into the closet.  While in the process of trying on old jeans and shrunken shirts, I came across a jewel of a find.  I was peeling through my dresses, and got to a dress that I haven't worn in years.  Literally it had been over ten years.  As I slipped on the dress, I was surprised that it actually fit me.  I studied the pattern in the mirror as I tried to remember, when did I get this dress?  And then it hit me.  8th grade graduation.  8th grade graduation!  The weird thing wasn't the fact that I fit into my dress from junior high (although yes, that is weird), but that I still have my dress that I wore to my 8th grade graduation.  It was a nice memory that the dress evoked.  Walking across the gym to get my diploma, taking professional best-friend pictures in our green gowns, my hair twisted in rows and secured with mini jeweled claw clips.  It was a good memory.  But geez, get rid of that dress!  I immediately put it in the give-away pile. 


Purge.  Purge those dirty shoes, those over-sized free t-shirts, lingering solo socks, and that cheap 8th grade graduation dress.  Spring has sprung, it's time to clean out the closet and start fresh, both physically and metaphorically.


Note: The things that we hold on to don't help us move forward.  Recognize what they are, hold on to the memory, and release the attachment.

Eminem's Video for Clean' Out My Closet