The tenants that the author sets out are quite telling. In fact, I'll save you the trouble of buying the book if you want: essentially, you hinder moving forward with things in your life, you prevent other experiences and people from coming in to your life, and you carry more baggage than necessary (physically & emotionally) when you keep clutter around. Clutter is defined as anything you don't use on a regular basis (minus Christmas decorations, I suppose, but even those should be 'purged' every once and awhile).
So, I started looking around at our house, and looking at some of the 'things' that I've kept around. For those who know me, they know that clutter was not something that I had to even remotely worry about 4 1/2 years ago. (Ha!) But, it's amazing how in those short 4 1/2 years how I have let things accumulate and have not purged the way I should have. Perhaps that, along with the crazy, vivid, pregnancy-hormone-induced dreams, which has led to this whole need to figure out what I am keeping around that could potentially be holding me back and bogging me down with 'baggage'.
Which brings me to Facebook. OK, so I like to think of myself as a pretty internet-savvy kind of gal. I Google. I blog. I do most of my Christmas shopping online. But, I am vividly aware that, as the mother of children that will grow up in a technology-driven world, it is CRITICAL for me to know what ROTFLMAO & CUL8R means, how to send a text message within a 2 minute time limit, regularly review "what Perez sayz", and all that other good stuff to ensure that my child does not end up as bait for "Dateline: Online Predators". So when a friend of mine, back in 
September, mentioned she had looked for me on Facebook, and that I really needed to be on it, how much fun it was, etc. I figured it was all for the good of the future safety of our children, so I created a profile. I kept it inactive until Kelly started telling me how much fun she was having connecting with old friends, Lucy pleaded for me to get on so we could keep in touch better, and Janis basically hinted that I wasn't as sassy as I thought I was by not keeping it updated on a regular basis.
September, mentioned she had looked for me on Facebook, and that I really needed to be on it, how much fun it was, etc. I figured it was all for the good of the future safety of our children, so I created a profile. I kept it inactive until Kelly started telling me how much fun she was having connecting with old friends, Lucy pleaded for me to get on so we could keep in touch better, and Janis basically hinted that I wasn't as sassy as I thought I was by not keeping it updated on a regular basis.I went back on. And immediately started looking up people. People that I had tried to find for years immediately jumped up on the Search Return screen and I was amazed at how I was whisked back into time - high school and college. The girlfriend who taught me how to twirl, and changed my high school years. First person on the Results list. Married. 2 kids. The first boy I ever kissed. Found him! (NO, I didn't send him a 'friend' request). Old, OLD friends from way-back. I felt like I had jumped in a time machine, and was amazed at the raw emotions that I felt just looking at these pictures of people from my past - the joy, the sorrow, the insecurities, the sweet innocence of those years - all of those feelings from 'youth' that slammed into me and were real, and so close.
The good news? Everyone I looked up is well and has beautiful lives and families (at least on screen - ha!) The better news? That "One-Sweet-Whirled-Back-Into-the-Old(er)-Me" and all the emotion that bubbled up so quickly to the surface just reinforced my need to let go of the clutter. You see, I am not one of those people who can arbitrarily look at pictures or hold an 
object with just memories. I look at pictures and I can feel the emotion I felt when it was taken (that's why I keep so many sweet wedding pictures around me) - I can hold the stuffed dog that Christian bought at the hospital when I was in labor with Brennan, and I can smell the room, feel the pressure in my belly and I tear up feeling the anticipation of her birth. Yah. No lie. That's just how I am. Christian can vouch for me. ; )
object with just memories. I look at pictures and I can feel the emotion I felt when it was taken (that's why I keep so many sweet wedding pictures around me) - I can hold the stuffed dog that Christian bought at the hospital when I was in labor with Brennan, and I can smell the room, feel the pressure in my belly and I tear up feeling the anticipation of her birth. Yah. No lie. That's just how I am. Christian can vouch for me. ; )So, (aside from the online article I read last month that Facebook has caused a small jump in the amount of people who cheat from 'rekindled' romances, and I am a firm believer in being careful of the 'doors you leave open' in your life - sorry, I digress...), I've looked at how I really, really want to just focus on our future ahead, and I've decided to deactivate my Facebook account. It's going inactive on Friday. I'm sorry for all of those friends that I added to my home page, and I certainly hope this omission from my internet world won't scar my children by my omission years down the road. And, I am by NO MEANS begrudging anyone who has a Facebook profile and enjoys it - it's great for some! But, what I've figured out about me is that the people that I hold dear, the ones that - past and present - are in my life now, are going to remain in my life regardless of whether or not I update my profile on an internet screen. And, sometimes, I've finally learned, that is truly is best just to leave the past in the past, and leave the future wide open for possibility.
Now, back to my cleaning out....
Lots of love,
Kristen
Kristen
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