I got married last year. I gained a husband, a partner, a friend. I lost half of my closet.
Once upon a time, I had a walk-in closet. It was my happy place, literally. I would sometimes walk in, stretch out my arms , and twirl around. I could do this without touching anything. ANYTHING. That was a closet.
I’ve purged and paired down my things over the years. However, it is fair to say that the same amount of items that lived in my beloved walk-in closet, now live in my 7.5 feet wide by 2.5 feet deep closet. Sounds like a good size, right? Except, I now have access to only 50% of the space, while still having 100% of my things.
I’ve been struggling to adjust to my reduced closet space for months now; it is not working. I try to not actually look at my closet too much because seeing all of my things crammed together causes me no end of anxiety. I’ve developed a system where my interactions with the closet consist of throwing/shoving/pulling as needed, without actually seeing anything. This cannot go on.
To add insult to injury, my husband’s side of the closet is not even full. NOT.EVEN.FULL.PEOPLE!
I’m fighting against my selfish nature here as I work to focus on all that I have gained and not on what I’ve lost. I remind myself that we have to make room in our lives in order for new things to come in, that letting go of things brings freedom.
I say these things to myself daily. I especially say them every time I get a glimpse of the half empty side of the closet. Sometimes it works. And sometimes, well, pray for me, y’all. The struggle is so real.