Extol August-September 2018 | Page 79

THE WEDDING

ISSUE

Getting Married ? What To Do With Your ( Literal ) Baggage

By Angie Fenton
DAYS BEFORE WALKING DOWN THE AISLE , I WOKE UP IN A COLD SWEAT , MY MIND FLOODED WITH ANXIETY : WHAT WAS I GOING TO DO WITH ALL OF MY BAGGAGE ?
NO , NOT THAT KIND OF BAGGAGE . I MEANT THE LITERAL TYPE – WHERE YOU COMBINE YEARS OF BELONGINGS INTO ONE HOME .
BECAUSE MY SOON-TO-BE PARTNER IN LIFE AND I ALSO OPTED TO BECOME PROFESSIONAL PARTNERS AND START UP A MAGAZINE ( AHEM , THIS ONE ) IN THE MIDST OF GETTING MARRIED AND INSTEAD OF GOING ON A HONEYMOON , TIME AND MONEY WERE IN SHORT SUPPLY . YET , WE HAD AN ABUNDANCE OF ( AGAIN , LITERAL ) BAGGAGE .
SO , WE DID WHAT ANYONE WOULD DO AND STUFFED IT AWAY IN THE UNFINISHED BASEMENT , VOWING TO ADDRESS IT SOONER RATHER THAN LATER .
FOUR YEARS LATER , WE ’ RE STILL PAYING THE ( FIGURATIVE ) PRICE BUT ARE FINALLY MAKING HEADWAY , THANKS TO THE ADVICE OF FRIENDS , FAMILY AND EXPERTS .
BUT DON ’ T DO WHAT WE HAVE DONE AND WAIT TO TACKLE THE ELEPHANT-SIZED ISSUE IN THE ROOM . INSTEAD , MAKE A PLAN BEFORE YOU SAY , “ I DO ,” AND PAVE THE WAY FOR MARITAL BLISS – AND LESS BAGGAGE IN ALL WAYS .
Divide and Conquer
Before acquiring new items we purchased together , we looked at what we already possessed – together . Then , we started making divisions : What is junk ? What would make good donations ? What is sentimental ? What should be left for a rainy day next week ... or next year ? Tag these items with color-coded stickers meant for garage sales ( Ben Franklin Crafts sells them ) so you know what ’ s what or move them into designated piles or sections . This way you know what needs to go first : the junk .
Junk It
I genuinely thought I might have a mild panic attack the day we scheduled 1-800-GOT-JUNK to arrive , but the truth is , it was cathartic . If you can ’ t reuse it , donate it , repurpose it or save it because of the condition it ’ s in – and goodness knows you can ’ t put it all out for the weekly trash collection – make the call . While they were there , it felt like we were shedding weight we never knew we were carrying ( and we weren ’ t – they were ). After the initial visit from the Got Junk crew , we suddenly had more room and opportunity to delve in even further . We also knew we could call them again … and have . ( 1800gotjunk . com )
Store It
One of the best pieces of advice my mother has ever shared was about excess baggage . She ’ s the queen of shedding clutter and hanging on to items that might be memorable to someone decades down the road . “ You don ’ t have to make a decision today .” And , you don ’ t . But if you want to reduce your baggage , look for a place that will store your precious cargo outside of your abode .
Just be sure you choose wisely . Businesses like arc Storage , 3525 Grant Line Road in New Albany , offer safe , secure and humidity- and temperaturecontrolled rental units for the items you just can ’ t part with but also know you ’ re not ready to give up . They also offer an emotional detachment for when you ’ re ready to tackle your baggage . ( myarcstorage . com )
Give It
As much as I wanted to hang on to the furniture I ’ d lived with and loved while single , my husband and I didn ’ t need it . Our baby is now a toddler , and we don ’ t need to hang on to every single thing that was hers either . But someone else might find it useful and helpful .
Seek out charitable organizations and churches in need of furniture , household goods and clothing . If you can ’ t deliver and they don ’ t pick up , ask your friends for referrals . You ’ ll be surprised at how quickly items you once loved will go to good homes , and how soon your anxiety – and baggage – will be gone .
THE WEDDING ISSUE : EXTOL 83