We are a couple of years away from the empty nest, which has started me thinking about how to configure our home for the next chapter of our lives.
To be clear, this is a recreational activity for me, not a stressor. I like to spend time envisioning the future, thinking about the different variations it might manifest as, and considering how I can apply what I've learned to make for a more positive experience.
One big lesson from watching older relatives is that older people accumulate a lot of stuff, and it often pains them to part with it - even if keeping it in their lives works to their detriment.
Sometimes it's a matter of emotional attachment - things become tethered to memories of a partner who has passed, and getting rid of them seemingly removes pieces of the life they created together. Giving the items to a charity like Goodwill feels like a devaluation, while foisting them on relatives or others is awkward for the recipients.
Sometime after the age of 70, older loved ones seem to end up in a situation where they have too much house full of too many things.
The too much house means that maintenance becomes overwhelming and is no longer a priority. Visits to spend the night at such houses come with warnings about fixtures that no longer work, household items that pose health hazards because of particular malfunctions, and areas to avoid.
Too many things mean that rooms are full to the brim in ways that preclude the furniture in those rooms from functioning the way they were intended. Desks are so covered that one cannot use them as work spaces. Sofas are covered with items and can no longer serve as places to sit. Closets are overflowing to the point that the unsuspecting visitor who opens one steps back as items tumble out.
I need to muster the energy now to relentlessly give away stuff that has outlived its meaning to me. I need to do it ruthlessly and avoid getting caught up in the same pattern of emotional traps favoring resignation and stasis.
The sooner I get started, the more adept I will become and the less likely I am to become a burden to my kids as I age.