The recent period may have reduced our social comfort zone, and breaking through them is not yet plain sailing.

I visited my mother in law last week while doing my regular delivery and circular economy collections on the east coast. So I called in, and thankfully, she was in great form, well and healthy. After the long drive, I decided to stay with her.

While there, I worried that her higher cupboards were full of items and, frankly, could have fallen over her when she was reaching for things.
I proposed that we take on the project to tidy the high cupboards the following morning. The plan was for me to do all the heavy lifting.

I faced some opposition to my proposal, but I ignored it. The high cupboard tidy was going to happen tomorrow.

I was excited to start this project the following day. I emptied all high shelves one by one and used Lilly's Degreaser and Descaler to thoroughly clean after a long time.
Her job was to put the items she liked, needed, and wanted to keep on one side and what she was ready to give to the other side of the table.
It only took just over an hour to organize and clean everything. My mother in law ended up with decluttered and clean cupboards with everything within easy reach, old foodstuffs removed, and the joy of only using her favourite dishes daily.
In addition, we gained a good amount of quality time together, talking and laughing, and I felt terrific having been able to help.
A win-win situation.

Do you have a friend or a family member who could do with some help? Has a cleaning or decluttering job to do that they might be too busy or overwhelmed or their health or safety related to age might prevent them from doing? Friends with a tiny baby too busy to keep up with some bigger house jobs. Is a friend or a family member finishing a significant study project or work deadline that could go smoother in a cleaner space? What about you? Could you do with some help with something?

Instead of some stuff, why not give or ask for a gift of time and a helping hand. Might it be an excellent way to start breaking through the reduced social comfort zone?

Titta Jones Dec. 2021