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The wildfires in California got me thinking.

I am struggling to let go of THINGS. People all around me are struggling. I’m a Realtor® so, I’m in the business of helping people move. As they approach the end of life I see too often, they are wedged, STUCK in and under THINGS. The things represent their past, good and bad memories, all the THINGS that sustained them and their families tirelessly like dishes, glassware, furniture, etc., etc.. Now they are useless. At the same time they are an anchor to a past life we do not want to forget.

I struggle because I have the luxury of living in WAY more space than I need AND I don’t plan to leave it any time soon.

It might seem like having time will make the process less painful. I can take my time because there’s still enough room and I’m not going anywhere soon (that I know). I am beginning to think it doesn’t.

I think it’s not unlike a bikini wax. If you’ve ever had one, you know the aesthetician RIPS the cloth which has been glued to a million tiny hairs with the speed of a JEDI warrior. Imagine if it were done very slowly, one hair at a time. I DON’T THINK SO! Taking my time to get rid of things is either, slow, painful torture OR I procrastinate and the problem just gets bigger.

In fact, I convince myself I am SYSTEMATICALLY taking small batches to Goodwill®. Truth is, once in a while I clean a closet or grab a few dishes, like I did a week ago and set them at the door in a bag to remind me to “just drop them off” on my way somewhere. Guess what…the bag is still there a week later.

This is what got me thinking about the wildfires in California.

The loss for the homeowners is traumatic and devastating. It’s unimaginable to those of us who aren’t affected by it.

There is ONE thing that is considered a blessing.
Those who survive ALWAYS say “We lost everyTHING, but we are still alive.”

Things were taken by fire and the owners never had time to CHOOSE what to keep and what to get rid of.

I know many will read this and misunderstand my message. Many will think I’m cruel to say these things. They will remark I have not lost anything in a fire.

They are right.
I have not.

What I want to say is, I have an opportunity to cut my past and my possessions with a sharp, emotionless machete before some other force does it for me OR I get buried underneath my past and my things.

I call this burning my own house down. The implications go far beyond my immediate circumstances.
I see possibilities in my physical and mental health.
I see possibilities in my relationships.
I see possibilities in my finances.

I recently had a life epiphany as I was in the process of repotting my orchids.

I love orchids and I have considered myself something of an “orchid healer”.

I would be given orchids by others to whom one had been given they subsequently “killed it” (their words).

I ran a little orchid hospital in my office collecting new and in-firmed over time. I have about 10 now.

They thrived because I learned a few simple rules about watering and light exposure.

4 years ago they were at a peak of blooming and vibrant health. With little or no change in my strategy they began to decline. Fewer blossoms and eventually what seemed like an extraordinarily long time between blooms. It was disheartening.

I decided to trade their window for a writing desk. The view from my office bay window inspires me.

I carefully chose a new spot for them which had the same exposure.

Things were looking up. Mittens (the precursor to an orchid blossom) and blossoms started to pop out from the green stems.

I thought my troubles were over. However, the number of blooms per plant was still much lower than at their peak.

A n orchid lover friend asked me about re-potting. Re-potting was something I had done infrequently and in retrospect I had applied non-orchid rules to my re-potting. I always thought they needed a bigger pot and didn’t pay attention to the medium.

My friend wisely guided me to a source for medium and some videos to educate me.
I studied and purchased the necessary materials. I was ready to master orchid repotting.

Like a surgeon, I laid out a large vinyl cloth on the island in the kitchen.
I reviewed each orchid in its current pot. It was mysterious. In general, everything above the soil line looked healthy. Roots and new leaves had continued to emerge even during the dormant stage.

I began wriggling each one out of its pot. Several of the inner plastic pots were opaque so I had no idea what lay beneath the seemingly healthy plant. I pulled one out of the opaque pot and what I saw almost made me sick. The sight of the roots of this particular plant struck me like a bolt of lightning.

Under the surface was a compacted, sickly gray mass of entangled roots. The color told me they were not bringing nourishment to the orchid but draining energy from it.

The videos had taught me to cut away dead and sickly roots. Orchids thrive in very different conditions than most other plants.

They can grow on a tree. Their roots are their antennae for life giving air and water. When I cut away the sick root system there were only one or two viable roots left.

Repotting orchids sometimes means relocation to a smaller pot.

I immediately thought of the wildfires and the downsizing so many of us are struggling with right now. If we approach it as a loss, it is painful and distressing. There is always some pain in digging up the past. Memories of happy occasions long ago to which we cling are hard to burn away permanently.

However, they are also like the sickly roots that drain energy. Once we release them, our energy can re-directed to what’s ahead that will be new and different and very possibly BETTER.

This idea applies beyond just getting rid of the stuff in your basement. It applies to your thoughts . What thoughts, feelings and emotions are coming from old sickly roots?

Imagine the possibilities if you can burn your own house down metaphorically. Think about it. I am!

With Love, Jennifer

This is Graceing Agefully™