For the first time that I can remember I unfriended someone on Facebook. After a few years of comments that offended me, I thought “Why am I subjecting myself to this?!”. I wonder why it took me a few years to do this.
The word ‘unfriending’, if it even is a word, sounds so cruel, but there are some things that we can truly unfriend. A client I was working with this week was holding on to a wedding dress from a broken marriage. In her case, there was no need to keep storing something that held negative feelings.
Another client recently got rid of a pair of lamps that had been a graduation gift. It was a strange gift and one that although she felt obligated to keep, brought back awkward feelings about getting an inexpensive lamp set for such a big event.
Things that are ugly, that don’t represent the life we want, or items that make us feel bad – it is time to unfriend them! This doesn’t mean that one should rid his or her house of everything that can bring about sadness. Seeing the collars and tags from my dogs that have passed doesn’t necessarily bring me joy, but remembering them does.
Years ago I parted with my middle-school year-books. After lugging them around for 10 or 15 years I thought that I really do not like to remember middle school – so into recycling they went!
What is in your life that could be unfriended?
PS - I am not really considering unfriending my husband, but I couldn't really choose anyone else to use as a sample for the image!