It’s hard to see the summer go knowing fall and cold, winter nights are just around the corner. But, it’s also a time, even if it’s for a moment, when we reflect on what we did, the people we met and the fun we had — and, oh, those things we wished we had done.
I’d like to share Andrea’s sentiments on the end of summer in her post called, “I’m Packing Up My Old Clothes…” at My Spoken Heart.
I’m Packing Up My Old Clothes…
This weekend is the Labour Day long weekend here in Canada, and it marks the ‘end’ of summer as this Tuesday the day after Labour Day marks the first day back to school for the new academic year. I feel like I have so much organizing to do this weekend. Not just for my kids but for myself as well. I really believe that 2013 for me and my family (mostly me) has been a year of endings, a year of wrapping things up, packing old boxes full of unwanted things and giving them away, it’s been a year of purging and cleansing. And for me 2014 marks a year of new beginnings. Where this comes from I don’t really know, I just feel it deep inside the deep dark spaces in my soul where there is peace and certainty even though everything around me is chaos.
There are so many things that I have wanted to accomplish for myself that as a parent (and a procrastinator) I keep putting aside. I spend so much time doing that which I don’t want to do in order to provide and take care of the things my kids need and in this process I somehow forget about myself – until of course I find myself frustrated and overwhelmed. This habit has to stop. Self care, self love is so important. How can I care for others if I am frazzled and burnt out? How can I give away clean untainted unconditional love if I have no idea what it looks like or feels like? I have to learn to make time for myself. And I have discovered that a huge part of this process is cleaning out my closets, both literal and proverbial. There are just so many things in those closets that I keep hanging on to for God knows what purpose even though they don’t fit any more, or perhaps they just are no longer who I am, they represent some-one that is no longer here. Keeping memories can be a precious and wonderful thing, hauling around a closet full of outdated crap – not so much.
So it is time to clean house and lighten the load. So I’m packing up my old clothes…
OLD CLOTHES – Randy Stonehill
TOYS FROM MY CHILDHOOD OLD PHOTOGRAPHS LEFT IN THIS DUSTY OLD SUITCASE THE THINGS WE ONCE CHERISHED ARE LOST WITH THE PAST SEEK OUT THE TREASURE THAT ALWAYS WILL LAST
Chorus: SO I’M PACKING UP MY OLD CLOTHES WITH MY OLD AND FOOLISH WAYS THEY DON’T SEEM TO FIT ME ANY MORE I SEE THE LIGHT OF MORNING WITH DIFFERENT EYES TODAY AND I’M GIVING MY TOMORROWS TO THE LORD
SO MANY HEROES THAT NEVER CAME THROUGH TOO MANY ROADS GOING NOWHERE AND JESUS WAS WHISPERING “I STILL LOVE YOU” AND WITH A LOVE THAT MAKES ALL THINGS NEW
Chorus
Pat from the ol’ kitchen table
Thank you for reblogging this………….I enjoyed it…………
Joanne – I’m glad you enjoyed it and happy you stopped by. You’re the best! 🙂
Hi Pat
So many of your words echo just how I feel at the moment about shedding the old and new beginnings, feeling positive about yourself and listening to your inner voice so that you can give more effectively to others. Oh Pat. Thanks for this post. Maybe a clear out would be good for me too!
Thank you for reblogging such a timely reminder
Hi Diana – thank you for the read and I’m glad you enjoyed this reblog of Andrea’s story. I think she captured it perfectly in how I was feeling seeing the trees lose their luster and a nip in the air. The change in the seasons certainly makes me reflect on the work I’m still needing to do within me.
Hope you come back again for another visit and sit at my kitchen table and share more stories. 🙂
Beautiful – The end of summer is always like a new beginning for me. As it mentions you put your “old” clothes away and prepare for the upcoming fall and winter months. 🙂
Hi Susan – you’re right with the end of summer being like a new beginning signaling changes to come. For us, the change means drawing inside more where it will be warm. Time to go through closets, read some good books and do some writing. 🙂