The Joy in Letting it Go

I’ve taken on another round of home decluttering. Things have been beyond stressful in my life lately, leaving me feeling out of control in so many ways. In an attempt to regain some level of comfort I’m getting rid of stuff.

Maybe we’ve watched too much Frozen, but I’m ready to just “Let it go, let it go.” Let it all go.

My home still had some things I didn’t use but struggled to let go of. A jogging stroller, the last of my baby items, and a kids basketball hoop that my son use to love, but now rarely touches.

The jogging stroller was the first to go to a friendly young dad with a precious tiny baby. When I met up with him he explained he had been considering a jogging stroller for some time. The day before he saw my Facebook marketplace post he met another dad with this exact stroller. He said it was like it was meant to be.

I explained it was my last remaining baby item and how hard it was to let it go, but his excitement over it made it easier. Later that day he messaged me to thank me one more time and assure me that it went to a great home. This warmed my heart.

The basketball hoop was one of those Little Tikes plastic hoops. A couple of years ago we played with it daily. But my son’s since outgrown it and barely even notices it’s there anymore. I posted it on the Facebook marketplace for free and a mom immediately reach out. She picked it up and the next morning I woke up to the sweetest video of her son in my messages. He was about two and he was playing with the basketball hoop with such joy that I couldn’t help but cry…in a good way. She wanted to say thank you again and was so grateful.

Both of these situations were such a gift for me. I was given a glimpse of what beautiful things can happen when I let stuff that is no longer needed in my life go. The joy of letting go.

Had I not let go of the stroller it would still be sitting folded in my mudroom, unused. Only makes me feel sad as a reminder that my kids aren’t babies anymore. Instead of allowing me to focus on our future and the things we can do now they are bigger. Like ride bikes together or run side by side, instead of having to push them in a stroller.

That basketball hoop was only taking up space in my life, another thing I needed to dust. Now a sweet little boy was using it. Had I hung onto that thing that I no longer needed, that wouldn’t have happened.

It’s a cliche that when you let go of stuff you feel lighter, but it’s so true. Every time I let go of one of these items, I feel lighter, freer, and ready to do what I want. To be the person that I am now, at this current moment, not who I was five years ago.