Interesting how getting rid of so much seems to make life a lot busier! As my previous posts explain, my husband and I are downsizing by moving to a smaller suite next week. I know that once the mayhem is over, we will enjoy our efficient home in a spacious manner.
With a minimalist mindset, we have been paring down for years. However, with a reduction in square feet, even more items have to go. I have been selling and giving away many things on Kijiji and Bunz, as well as donating to charities. So many interesting people have walked through my life in the last couple of weeks and the conversations have been lovely. A mom needed shelves for her son at university, a dad picked up our bureau because it matched a set in his daughter’s room, and a 40 something man was excited to get Karl’s size 14 rollerblades,”to relive the good times”. A very young woman, while picking up an easel and art supplies, told me she recently moved to Canada and was excited to get back into painting again.
One very large object we could not get rid of, even for free, was our old armoire. Many people expressed interest but they could not find a vehicle big enough and it required a second person to help them carry it down our three flights of stairs. We finally found someone who was determined to make it work. As you are about to read, it was a bit of an ordeal! Here is her note to me:
I just wanted to thank you again, not only for giving me the lovely armoire, but also for being so accommodating with my pickup time, for wrapping it up and removing the shelves and bagging the hardware for me. For you and your husband and neighbor helping us get it down those stairs and out to my car. For being so wonderful when I called back to ask for help turning it upside down and helping me to make it fit!
Afterward, my battery died and I unsuccessfully tried to flag a few taxis and people down for a jump start. I then saw a food delivery guy and asked him for a boost but he had no cables. After his delivery he came to ask if I needed any other help and then offered to go back and ask the guys in the house he just delivered to if they had cables. They did and they all came out and with the delivery guys car and their jumper cables, got me up and running again!
When my son and I finally got home and got it out of the car (quite a feat), a man who lives in my building that I had never met before (who happens to be a mover!) saw us struggling to get it up the tight ramp leading into my lobby, and helped us all the way into the building, into the elevator (I have no idea how we would have managed otherwise) and all the way down the hall to the end where I live and got it in the door of my apartment.
We were lucky to meet some great people tonight, starting with you. The armoire is perfect and I promise I will take good care of it. Again, thank you so much and I wish you all the best 🙂
I thanked her for taking the time to write this message. I received several emails from those who arrived home and opened their ‘gifts’. So many others I won’t hear from again but I imagine them telling stories about where they got their new TV and stand, bathroom scale, portable massage table, large wicker baskets, evening gown, dance shoes, plants….
Tell me your stories about letting go!
