Five things I am thankful for this year:
- The freedom and ability to be who I want to be
- The adult relationship I finally have with my parents and siblings
- K who is lots of fun and the sweetest man I’ve ever met
- Friends at work (ZingIT rocks!)
- My happy fulfilling life

The past couple of weeks have been HECTIC. At work, the businesses are gearing up for the holidays. I’ve yet to finish my Christmas shopping (already a month overdue). From now till the end of the year, it’s going to be one heckuva ride.

Somehow, when the anxiety level is up, my body naturally finds ways to balance. It feels great to come home and unwind. I always make it a point to cook a proper meal, set the table and enjoy a good dinner. What makes it relaxing is that one is forced to slow down and enjoy an hour of peace. Then I write a little, read a lot. Soak in a hot bath. Often at the same time.

But when I’m really stressed, I, well, clean.

In grad school, I was convinced that I failed a midterm. The first thing I did when I stumbled out the building was rush to the corner grocery. There, I grabbed a Swiffer, wipes, anti-bacterial spray, bathroom cleaner, sponges, toilet cleaner, cleaning brushes — the works.
As I unloaded my arsenal at the cashier, he chuckled, “Big night?”
“I think I just bombed a final,” I grumbled dejectedly. “I… I have to clean to feel better.”
He roared. “If you’re the type of person that cleans for fun,” he looked me in the eye stifling a grin, “you couldn’t possibly have bombed that final.”
We laughed. Turns out, he was right. I passed.

Now every time I am faced with stress buildup, I remember that guy and what he said and I instantly feel better. While the world around panics, I’m unshakable in the storm, armed with bath salts and a scrubbie.

I love the smell of snow in the air. It hits when I open the door. Then just as quickly as it comes, it dissipates. Walking outside there is an undercurrent scent of dried leaves and rain. Then the heat starts up in the car and the smell of it reminds me again of winters past. The anticipation of the season exhilarates me to the point that its eventual arrival causes much glee. Soon will be First Snow!

My house is a calming, organized space. It’s smartly decorated and efficient. In a pinch, it could serve as a showroom for IKEA. For instance, in the bathroom closet, there are small tubs labeled for keeping extra bath essentials – hair products, lotions, soaps, medicines. Seasonal clothing go in separate clear bins for storage when not in use. I harbor little sentimentality towards belongings. Rarely does something unnecessary or unwanted remain in my possession for very long. And so many of the house’s numerous cabinets and drawers are empty.

Today, K and I embarked on an organization kaizen event. Okay, it was my idea, but he was a good sport and helped. For the past two weeks, I had been feeling out of sorts with myself, feeling easily distracted and confused. As they say, cluttered house, cluttered mind. So in an effort to reduce the noise in my head, I set out to reduce the visual noise in the house. I evaluated the bookshelves, opened the closets and evaluated boxes in the garage, casting an unforgiving critical eye upon their contents.

The rules:
- Clothes that didn’t fit, didn’t look good or didn’t see the light of day in over a year go into the donation box.
- Books that were outdated, disliked greatly (Louis L’Amour, oh lordy), or will never be read (anything Chicken Soup-y) will to be donated to the library.
- Magazines over six months old should be thrown away.
- Personal correspondences are stored in a small decorative box in the living room.
- Knickknacks that aren’t displayable will be given away.
- Unidentifiable objects = trash

The results were very satisfying:
- 2 medium boxes of clothing and shoes donated to the Salvation Army
- 1 medium box of books to be donated to the library
- 1 printer, brand new jacket, curtains and a clay figurine to be listed on eBay
- 1 second bedroom with outfitted with a twin bed and freshly laundered sheets (K made hospital corners!)
- 1 almost bare garage, save for a spare bookcase that I haven’t decided where to put yet
- 2 garbage bags full of junk

And the best part? It took only 5 hours! I highly recommend it to anyone for peace of mind and a sense of achievement.

Tomorrow will be different than today because I made a choice.