Joy

I read Marie Kondo's: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying, a book meant to de-clutter your home and your life by clearing out the things you own that don't bring you joy, or that keep you in the past.  You're supposed to touch everything you own and think, does this bring me joy? and, if it doesn't, toss it.  Seems easy, right?  ...until you get to the things that bring you joy but that also keep you in the past.  She says, 'getting rid of things from the past will help you to move forward into the future that you want' -- but, what about the joy part? 

Anyway, I decided to clear out a bunch of things I had gotten from ex-boyfriends so I could, you know, move forward.  So, I threw away pictures, shredded old love letters, and donated gifts -- which included the painting shown above.  I took the painting, along with some other posters/cds/books, and put them in the lobby of my apartment with a postit that read, FREE.  All of it was gone within hours.  

I started to search for a new piece of art to fill the empty space on my wall, but nothing seemed quite right.  I put another painting there, but it made me feel anxious.  I searched for something new online, but it all felt forced and wasn't the pretty dancing girl I started to wish was still there.  Even though the painting was given to me in a past relationship, I really liked it.  It was pretty, and also represented so much more than that relationship to me.  It represented a time in my life when I was inspired and dedicated to moving myself forward.  I would sit with the guy who gave it to me and dream up what I wanted to do with my life next.  He really understood what I was going through, and did his best to connect me with some people who could move me in the right direction.  Through those connections, I found hope, and life, and passion, and drive, and eventually found my show, and then my magical job... 

The other day, I found myself looking at the wall wishing I had kept that painting. 

A day later, I was driving up to my apartment and I noticed that someone had left a painting outside by a tree.  It was my painting!  Apparently, whoever took it decided they no longer wanted it, so I parked my car, grabbed it from the tree, and put it back on my wall.  

:)