Too Much of a Good Thing
If you’ve ever opened a drawer and been greeted by a tangle of mismatched socks, you’re not alone. Somehow, they multiply. That stack is a reminder of children growing up, laundry cycles interrupted, and the slow march of seasons. But beyond the humor and the head-scratching, that sock pile holds a quiet truth: sometimes we hold on to more than we need.
Gratitude doesn’t always look like accumulation. Sometimes, it’s found in the gentle release, in recognizing that having “too much” can be a signal to give, to share, to make space for what’s next. Give Something Away Day on July 15 is the perfect invitation to do just that — to sort through the corners and clutter of our lives and ask: What can I offer someone else today?
Letting Go with Love
There’s a certain tenderness in parting with things, even things we no longer use. A favorite sweater with worn-out cuffs. My fancy “mother of the bride” dress. The unopened lotion from a gift basket. A book we loved once but won’t likely read again. These items carry stories. And it’s okay to honor those stories, and still let them go.
As I begin a big clean-out while my daughter is home for the summer, I’m struck by her gift for organization and her ability to see things clearly. “Mom,” she says, “if you don’t need it, someone else does.” She’s right. Letting go can be an act of compassion. It can also be a form of self-care.
In clearing our physical space, we create room for mental clarity, emotional freedom, and a deeper appreciation of what we do have. I am finding so many wonderful things, long buried, that I can enjoy. Gratitude grows in that clearing. It thrives in simplicity. It sings in the spaces we’ve opened, rather than in the clutter we’ve kept.
A Clean-Out of Gratitude
On this Give Something Away Day, maybe it’s socks. Or a jacket you haven’t worn in years. Or the stack of perfectly good mugs that never get used. But it could also be something less tangible: an old story that no longer fits. A grudge that takes up too much space. An outdated belief about what you need to feel secure. Forgiveness it’s time to give – of others… of ourselves.
Giving something away doesn’t have to mean sacrifice. It can mean joy. It can mean freedom. It can mean releasing what’s outlived its purpose to allow someone else, maybe someone you’ll never meet, to feel cared for, to feel held, to feel seen.
So open that drawer. Open your heart. Give something away today — and be grateful that you have something to give.