What Treasures Will Be Discovered When You Are Organizing?

Connecting with the human side of organizing brings the process to an entirely different place. One way we can do this is by focusing our efforts on the treasures instead of loss. As you organize, if you hunt for treasures, you can experience unexpected joy, laughter, and an array of other emotions. We can learn things about ourselves, understand connections we never realized, or find humor to lighten up our mood.

As some of you may know, I’ve been sorting through and organizing our family home of 56+ years. In recent blog posts, I’ve written more about this experience. If you want to read more, check out these posts including What Are The Possibilities When You Clear Your “Space?,” What Does Organizing Success Look Life For You?, and How to Be Successful With Your Projects and Purpose.

Now back to the wonderfully human aspect of organizing and discovering family treasures. The treasures I found were not gold or jewels, but instead photos, documents, and other things. Today and in the coming weeks, I’ll share some of these discoveries with you. I hope this will inspire you to embrace the human side of organizing and allow you to focus on positive discoveries, learning, and the aspects that are joyful.

There were many things that I found, especially among the photos. They were stored in various places in the house and in no particular order. So they presented me with a sort of treasure hunt on steroids. The treasures I’m sharing this week speak to the rich history of love that was part of my family. Finding them supported me as I sorted, edited, and let go.

My Grandmothers

One of the things that I had forgotten was that over time my grandmothers while from different family backgrounds and corners of the world became very good friends. As a matter of fact, I remember at one point one of my grandmothers went to live with the other for a while. They took care of each other and had a unique friendship. In this photo, which I’d never seen, it shows my Nana Stell and Nana Roe casually sitting together on what looks like a picnic table. It’s probably from the late 1940’s or early 1950's. I can see how comfortable they were together and how much they were enjoying each other’s company.

My Parents

My folks were married over 61 years before my Dad passed away. They were soul mates and deeply in love. They faced life’s challenges together, were strong individually, and an amazing team together. In this photo, their closeness and support of one another is obvious. They loved the sea. I can imagine them standing there together feeling grateful for each other, their family, and the view in front of them. While the waves can knock down even the strongest of us, their love endured all of life’s challenges with grace, generosity, and kindness. They were a positive force in the world.

My Daddy and Me

What can I say? Being the youngest of three, I definitely felt like Daddy’s little girl, or “Squirt,” as he sometimes called me. I can remember the feeling of comfort and love just sitting on my Dad’s lap. All felt right in the world. I loved spending time with him, especially on Saturday mornings when we’d run errands together. It didn’t matter where we went- to the cleaners, the hardware store, or the bakery. It was fun going around with him, just the two of us. He always made me laugh.

As you’ve organized, what treasures have you or your clients discovered? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!