I’m not sure how I clicked over to this blog but I’ve enjoyed reading it. Maybe because “Jules” also is an attorney and she admits in her “about” blurb that it made her grumpy, too. (I was miserable when I was working in a big firm). She recently completed a series in which she purged and organized for 31 days in October. Right up my alley.

The post explains what motivated her decision to begin the project. Basically she is helping a friend deal with her deceased parents’ possessions. This quote in an email from the friend struck me:

Well my friend…I’ve spent the day looking at the petrie dish of my parents’ life, known as the boxes from Lake Arrowhead. The fact that everything has a musty smell just seems to add to the experience. I think everyone’s goal in life should be to not end up in a box for others to analyze. 

I’ve been so frustrated that my in-laws, who each died in their 80th year, left behind the petri dish of their own lives for my husband (and me) and sister-in-law. All the papers, half used tubes of this and that in the recesses of drawers. Clothes that hadn’t been worn in years. You name it, it was left behind-never dealt with. Surprisingly, the above quote reminded me of that but it didn’t churn it up for me again. Instead, it made me consider my own petri dish. I’m almost 43 and as I’ve learned, life turns on a dime. Not to be grim, but any of us could go at any time or be seriously disabled. It’s true. I just think it would be rude and so inconsiderate to leave Mark and the kids with the remnants of my indecision.

I will attempt to embrace Jules’ battle charge, a popular and relevant quote from William Morris”

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful”

Seems simple enough. I’ve seen that quote a lot. One of my problems is that when I think of having something beautiful, I almost always think to myself that I will most definitely get sick of it. Which is why I’m not great at decorating. But this is a good start (restart).