By Sue Staton

The past few days I have been purging, so to speak, as I have cleaned out closets and dresser drawers. I needed to free up space in both places.

It seems I spend my free time going through papers on a daily basis trying to sort all the unwanted mail I receive. I am not just talking about the bills either. It is pure junk mail from everyone in the world wanting me to buy something. It can make clutter very quickly and I do not need any more.

This week I decided to it was time to switch from spring and summer clothes to fall and winter clothes. My closets were bulging as well as the dresser drawers. I do not know why I seem to marry my things and have such a hard time getting rid of my clothes. About the time I decide it goes, I think I just might wear that again.

Finally, I decided enough is enough. Luckily, for me, my brother and sister-in-law came by while I was working on the closets. She happened to mention to me she was gathering clothes to be sent to the Galilean home in Eastern Kentucky. Just what I needed to hear at the right time.

I can proudly say I got rid of some things I had held onto and did not need. My sister-in-law left with what I had separated and I promised to bring more to her the next day. Her being here worked so well for me. If the clothes had stayed more than 24 hours, I feel pretty sure I would have decided to keep something and it would have been back in a closet or drawer again. At least now I have three fewer boxes of clothes.

In trying to analyze why I do this I feel it has to go back to my childhood, where I had enough clothes for need but not anything extra. My sister and I could put all our clothes on one closet pole in our room.

There were many times I spent wishing for more different clothes. My parents would have bought us more if they could have. I know they did the best they could for us five kids and I admire how well they did.

Like I have mentioned before, my mom had 37 surgeries in her lifetime and their extra money went to hospital bills.

Besides that most of the kids in my class at the grade school I attended were in the same boat as we were.

While I am on this kick of getting rid of things, I am hoping to do some more cleaning out. It is probably a good thing for season changes for clothes. It made me at least get busy and start. Maybe this fall will help me to free myself up in away I never have before.

Sue Staton is a Clark County native who grew up in the Kiddville area. She is a wife, mother and grandmother who is active in her church, First United Methodist Church, and her homemakers group, Towne and Country Homemakers.