Many people have spring rituals when the clock jumps ahead. Growing up, spring meant washing the windows, flipping your mattress, and tending to the flowerbeds to help the spring blossoms flourish. As an adult I do many of these things and more; including washing the silverware sorting tray. I’m crazy about cleaning. How sad?
One of my spring rituals is cleaning out my closet. I share a closet with TimWolf, my fiancé, and our “closet” is one we constructed upon move-in because our loft does not have actual closets. Not one. Without doors to hide things behind is very challenging for someone like me, a person who wants everything to look picture perfect.
Cleaning out my closet is imperative, sad, liberating. If I haven’t worn an item in years (and would look like a stuffed sausage if I did), I’ll hold onto it for nostalgic reasons. I find satisfaction in removing worn items that should be replaced, dated clothes, and “statement” pieces I look at and find myself saying out loud, “really?!” It’s important for me to let these things go, because really, it’s just clothes and I don’t need copious amounts of unused clothing (maybe
Tyler Durden is whispering in my ear). And to be honest, visually, my open closet doesn’t need them either. There is minimal space in my loft’s loft to store winter coats, scarves, gloves and boots – which are traded out for shorts, tank-tops, sundresses and sandals.
When I’m done, I normally have two large piles to purge. Piles I turn a blind eye to while my friends rummage for the shirt they may’ve coveted; piles I hand over to Goodwill while maintaining a slow roll in my car, looking away from second thoughts. With a clean closet I find myself motivated to go for a run (oh, hello shorts!), am reminded of my personal style, and inspired help it flourish.
Do you have springtime rituals?
-stace
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