Saturday, December 30, 2006

Tackling 'letting go' and 'moving on'

Lisbeth's in full swing cleaning and tidying so that the house is more relaxing to be in and she feels able to start sorting. The activity itself is important because she has a tendency to slow down and get depressed on these trips to England, so keeping active is crucial.

This time, however, she has resolved to be different - or at least to manage it better. She is determined to make real progress sorting out her stuff from the past. By 'stuff ' I am referring to stuff she has accumulated over her life and then more stuff inherited from parents. All this stuff is stored in boxes and containers all over the house: in the cellar, under the beds; filling cupboards, even stacked up in the corners of rooms. She has had a real block about doing this because: 1) She's been a serious hoarder; 2) She doesn't know what to do with it all; 3) It represents the drawing to a close of her life in England. She's attempted to tackle it many times before. Many, many times! Yet the emotional stress of letting go and moving on has always overwhelmed her.

I don't understand it. If she can get herself to France, buy a house on her own (with no French); start a new life from scratch; be learning the language and dealing with all kinds of problems, why can't she sort through a few boxes?

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