Last month, in the midst of my own major post-holiday declutter, I learned a new-to-me term: osoji, which Google tells me literally means “big clean” in Japanese. It’s not a new tradition at all, however–it dates back to circa 800 A.D. At that time, the Imperial Court was ritually cleansed of soot at the end of each year to welcome the deity of the new year (source, source).
Keeping my home free from unused items does have a spiritual component for me. It feels respectful to my family to maintain a decluttered home in which the kids can play and Eric and I can efficiently live our lives. It feels respectful to the environment to thoughtfully pass on items we don’t need, and to receive an annual reminder to be intentional about the things we bring into our home. I even have more mental space to focus on what matters in life and to be intentional about my own spiritual practice when we aren’t overwhelmed by unnecessary stuff.… Read More »
Good afternoon! The two youngers are napping, E and e are at a ski lesson and I’m feeling a bit under the weather, so I’ve confined myself to the couch until my headache goes away at least. It’s 45 degrees and beautifully sunny out, and the birds are singing like it’s spring–so it’s not all bad!
During middle and high school, there were a lot of problems in my life. My parents’ divorce and subsequent family tensions, untreated anxiety, academic pressure and low self-esteem–many things weren’t ideal.
Recently I read a lovely book, The Joy of Less by Francine Jay. One of the key ideas from the book is that we use 20% of our stuff 80% of the time. What does that say about the other 80% of our stuff?