Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
Are you bored of your Husband?
No, this isn’t the newsletter where I’m jettisoning my husband as part of the ultimate downsizing exercise. Rather, this is the newsletter where I compare your husband (or wife) to your sweater.
You know the sweater: You’ve worn it 1,000 times. At one time it was your favorite, and you still wear it a lot—but in all honesty, you’re a little sick of it. Still, it’s fine. It’s well made, you’ve managed not to stain it or pill it and it could last another 15 years—maybe even 50. But you want something new, something trendy, something fresh.
Don’t do it. Just wait. You may be bored of that sweater now, but it’s OK. Keep wearing it. If you try to replace it, you’ll buy five and not one of them will really be right. And in another 10 years you’ll be amazed that you ever considered letting it go, because it will be that much more meaningful to you by then.
You’re thinking, Wait, she’s an organizer, she’s not supposed to tell us to hang on to old stuff. True. But the best way to keep from having too much stuff is to acquire less. Stay out of the store, and stay true to your favorite sweater. After all, the wise among us don’t turn in our spouses just cause it’s been a while.
We live in an age of instant gratification, but the quick fix is rarely as deeply gratifying as the earned: the 50-year marriage, the sweater that is older than your kids, your grandmother’s dining table. Resist the impulse to rush out and upgrade, embrace what you have—it is good.