This morning, in a last-minute effort, I was searching through my cabinets for something to take to the food drive happening at work. I had actually put “canned food” on my grocery list this week and completely forgot while at TWO different grocery stores.
I pulled out four items and two of them had expiration dates in 2012. So organic mac and cheese and a pasta side made the cut (we haven’t quite figured out the whole grocery shopping thing so our shelves are pretty bare). While I imagine it is not uncommon to find things in one’s pantry or fridge with expired dates (I mean, who knew boxed potatoes expired?), what makes this embarrassing is…
At least two of those items have moved four times. I have boxed up and taken my expired food to four different residences. Why I have moved so often in two years is a topic for another blog, but as I drove to work, I couldn’t help but think about all the stuff-literally and figuratively-I have carried around for the past several years.
Perhaps the expired food is simply a funny picture of the junk I lug around from place to place. A box of potatoes (note: potatoes should never come in a box which is probably why I never made them) is a small thing to carry around, but nevertheless, had I looked at the use by date two years ago, I could have saved myself the trouble of packing and unpacking it each time I moved. I think I just figured I would make them eventually. The same thing happens in life. If I could move past old hurts, I could move forward with less junk. If I could get rid of the clothes I haven’t worn in years, I could simplify my closet. I think if we all stepped back we realize there is hurt, anger, jealousy, fear, insecurity, and a whole of stuff following us around. But maybe we just keep thinking, I might need it someday or I am not sure what to do without it. Perhaps we have been carrying it around for so long it has become part of who we are and getting rid of it will require some extra effort and time (or pain).
Our closets are busting and our schedules are hectic and we just keep adding, keep shoving, and keep packing up the expired stuff. I am going to clean out my cabinets and throw away the old food, but I am also going to step back and work on cleaning out the junk I am carrying around inside. It is the only way I will be able to move forward and give all of who I am to the dreams I have for the future.
Will you join me? Maybe your house needs a good spring cleaning or maybe your heart needs to let go and move forward. Wherever you find yourself today, let’s work on not hanging on so closely to expired food, hurts, and pain.
