HOARDING | RELATIONSHIPS

Want to Learn More About Someone? Declutter a House Together

Mom and I are very different in our approaches

These are some of the mouse nests I found behind her books. (Photo by author)

Something wasn’t right.

In a short time, I lost my prescription glasses, a brand-new winter hat, and a utility knife. I left my purse at my in-laws’ house, forgot my cell phone at work, and a dinner date with a friend slipped my mind.

I was feeling restless and overloaded. In addition to losing physical items, I was losing my mind.

I knew the culprit: cleaning my mom’s hoarded home. I started a decluttering journey there in October, working every day, even sometimes before work, and for twelve hours on Saturdays.

But, I had to pull back. It was consuming me. Because I put all of my energy and focus on my mom’s house, I had nothing left for myself.

Still, I had no regrets because it had to be done. Mom was living in filth. This was due to a combination of her apathy and depression after my stepdad died five years ago and her destructive cats that have shredded furniture and peed on everything.