Five years ago, my mom came to visit and brought a plastic tote full of drawings, worksheets, and other papers from when I was a kid.  I began to look through it, but after flipping through a few preschool paintings and coloring book pages, I became bored and overwhelmed by how much there was, and I set the box aside.  It remained closed through three moves and ended up in a closet that collects miscellaneous junk.

When I did the 30 day minimalist challenge in January, I was determined to tackle that closet.  I pulled down the plastic tote and spent several evenings working my way through it.  The box contained everything from day care drawings and hand-made cards to report cards, individualized education plans, and reports and short stories I’d written.  Looking over everything provided a sweet and fascinating perspective on my childhood.  Rather than seeing my youth through the lens of my memory, I got a more objective glimpse into my early years.   Read more