She sat with a macrame calender halfway out of a plastic bag on her lap. She had the tired and sad weight of guilt slumping her a little forward. She said the calender was a gift from a 95 year old friend. She had never used the calender. She then said it's a great calender and closed the plastic bag over the top and was about to put it back in a paper bag when I stopped her.
I said the fact that she brought the macrame calender to a clutter busting workshop is a red flag. I had the woman unwrap the calender all the way. I asked if she liked the calender. She began to demonstrate how the months and dates were interchangeable, and that it was handmade. It said that's true, but does she like it. Sometimes people will become a commercial for a thing as a way of avoiding letting it go. They point out all the benefits they can think of. But the only value that's worthwhile is that you like and use it.
She got an ill look on her face and said she didn't like the calender. She said it made her feel horrible because this woman had given it to her and what if she got rid of it and the woman came over and asked about it. I asked if this woman ever comes over. She said never.
I said it's okay to not to keep something you don't like. We get to make those decisions because it's our home. If you ordered something at a restaurant and it came to you and tasted terrible, you wouldn't eat it. The same goes with the macrame calender. I suggested the calender can be donated to a charity. Someone's going to see it, love it and use it.
She liked the idea of the calender being loved by someone. She decided to let me donate it. She looked light and free.