Tale of 2 Ladies

Life is such a lesson.  I have always been one who will look at the events, stages, loss, love, the whole gamut, of another and glean from their experiences.  I also go through my day thinking on little inspirational blog posts to share with you my follower.

This month, my business, Town Hall Trinkets, LLC, has the pleasure of working with 2 very different ladies, at about the same stage in life, on the same path to downsizing.  I have spent several days at each home, working, sharing and listening (gleaning) from each.  

This all had my thinking about the stages it takes us to get to this stage of life.  I happen to think it is like, the 5 stages of grief/loss.  It is very true in downsizing as well.  

The 5 Stages to Downsizing.

1.  Denial - "I can still stay in my own home, I've lived here 45 years and nothing 'bad' has happened to me.  Why do I have to leave now?"

2.  Anger - "My children are upset that I have 'too much' stuff to get rid of and they are going to get a dumpster."

3.  Bargaining - "Well, if I keep this, I will rid of that" or "I think this will fit in my bathroom under the window, I have to measure it yet."  

4.  Depression - "I just can't believe I have to leave all my treasures, my yard, my neighbors" or "I cried for 2 hours after you left, I don't want to get rid of my things."

5.  Acceptance - "Well, I guess I will move to an apartment" and the best one "I know someone in the same apartment building, we go to church together, we will have fun."  

I've heard some of these and more over the past 30 years of working with people parting with their treasures.  

The tale of these two ladies is somewhere in the stages I listed above.  One is getting rid of her whole collection, while another is getting rid of other things to be able to keep her collection.   Neither is right or wrong, just showing the difference in the process.  

One is totally "hands on" with me each step of the way, talking about each piece of her collection, giving me a detail account of "it's" history.  She asked, "am I helping you?" and I said "you are, but you are really helping yourself."  I went on to tell her, that when I teach my class, "What to Keep, What to Sell and What to Donate" I share that what you are doing right here, "saying good bye" to these things, is the best thing you can do for yourself in your process of letting go."  

The other is busy washing, wrapping, packing her collection, while she lets us alone to work on the rest of what she isn't taking to her new "home."  Truthfully, I wouldn't be able to part with her collection either, she did "let go" of a few pieces.  She is a bit farther along in this process and excited to have a new "built in" space do display her colletion.  

Each of these 2 ladies are facing a new stage, they each have shared wonderful memories of their family life in their homes, their husband's good character (that was so refreshing to hear women "lift up their husbands" rather than "tear them down") and little life lessons that I will take with me.  

As I look at these 2 ladies, I am also preparing my heart for this stage of my life.  I'm a hoarder so I need a decade or two..ahahaha....to "prepare" all of that.   Anyway, I have enjoyed my time with each.  

If you would like, I will have each of these on my Town Hall Trinkets Online Estate Sales  as follows:

March 20 beginning at 9:30 am (about 115 lots)

March 27 beginning at 9:30 am (over 300 lots)

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.