A Moving Experience

Excerpt from Daily Cures, Wisdom for Healthy Aging by Connie Mason Michaelis

Update: I wrote this article in 2017. And here we are, 8 years later, and so happy to be where we are. It is a pain, but having it behind you is the greatest feeling ever! Connie

 For years, I have written about the importance of Seniors downsizing from large homes. It is the greatest gift you can give to your children, but more importantly for you, it is so liberating to get rid of the stuff you’ve collected for years.  It is essential to make your own decision about downsizing, but waiting too long creates unnecessary complications.  Facing a medical emergency is not the time to decide your home is too large. Simplicity and minimalism are empowering. Cleaning out literally creates new brain space for the next chapters of life. The longer you keep your real estate, the more it becomes an albatross around your neck. The maintenance and updating will decline as you grow older. Your home may never be more profitable to sell than today. All that said, I have now experienced it and have a lot more sympathy for the struggle, pain, and effort it takes.

My husband and I recently decided to sell our big house and downsize to a much smaller location. I could not have anticipated the agony that was about to unravel. The good and bad news is our home sold very quickly. We expected three to six months to prepare for the move, but I don’t know that having more time would have made it easier.  Our six children wanted very little. Every item in our home was touched. It went in one of four piles: keep, give away, sell, or donate. It was like dozens of little deaths, small pieces of our history laid to rest. I kept telling myself that we could keep the memories and let go of the material symbols.  But every day, I felt freer and freer. It was all worth it. So, I sincerely apologize for ever being flippant about the amount of physical and mental work it takes to downsize. My advice is to do it sooner than later; I cannot imagine doing it five or ten years from now!