The Joy of Organization

I don't love the actual work of organizing, but I love when my life and the things in it are organized.  This year I've been working on one quick organizing project *almost* every day.  Breaking up a big job makes it seem so much easier.  Besides the obvious benefit of having a more neat and orderly place to live, I've found that organizing has a hidden benefit as well.  As I've been making my way around our house cleaning out and cutting back, I've stumbled across some sweet things that I'd forgotten about.

I'm not usually one to save things for simply sentimental reasons (just ask my mother-in-law) but from time to time I do hang on to the cute things my kids write or draw.   I'll put it somewhere thinking that I'll remember it later, but I never really remember what I've put where.


If I hadn't taken the time to go through  that cupboard, drawer, or box I never would have found this sweet letter from Abigail to her Dad.  Judging by the handwriting and where I found the letter, she wrote this when Jared was deployed to Iraq four years ago when she was five or six.  In case you can't read this, it says, "I love you Dad.  Dad I like you Dad and I love you Dad.  And you are the best Dad."  The letters over the drawing of Abby and Jared are their initials.  Besides being cute and reminding me of how much Abby's grown, this reminded me of the time in Abby's life when she would say to everyone that she really loved "I like you and I love you."  If she didn't really love you so much she would only say that she loved you.  She knew it was important to love everyone and she also knew that she didn't like everyone all the time!  So liking and loving was a big compliment from Abigail.  


Without organizing, I also wouldn't have found this more recent letter to me from Samantha.  I love the spelling and the simple yet sweet explanation of love.  When edited for spelling, this one says, "I love mom.  Mom loves me because?  She is my Mom.  Moms love their daughters and because they're their children.  And we love mom.  From: Sam To: Mom."  I wish I could have gotten the picture to rotate, so just touch your ear to your right shoulder to read this one.

Finding these notes from our kids probably won't make me more likely to save every scrap of paper they scribble on in the future.  I'm still not that sentimental.  However, I might start scanning and saving the really cute/sweet/funny things they make.  Then I'll still have the memories to look back on as well as an organized house.

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