I am a Marie Kondo failure

Don't get me wrong, I love office supply stores and their promise of meshed wire efficiency. I watch an episode of Hoarders to propel me into organizational tasks that I dread. I would color code the world if I could.

But I am a Marie Kondo failure. I applaud the principle of a place for everything. Just the thought of my sons' derisive laughter as they sort through my drawers of stuff after I'm gone helps motivate me to purge. I can even see my way past the ritualistic thanking of each item before it hits the donation bag, because, hey, I am open-minded about woo-woo thinking.

What I absolutely can't do is the folding. The folding does not spark joy, Marie. It's not just that I do it badly. Even if I can produce a nicely rounded public-facing edge, underneath is a mass of wrinkles. But it's not that.

Reinvention definitely includes activities in the category of 'things I do not want to do.' Such is life. Reinvention is also about prioritization. I became a lot clearer about that after I was propelled unexpectedly into this stage. Establishing priorities means deciding what is important to you and what is not. Even as that essentials list is refined, I've learned that I need to be vigilant about its maintenance or the seduction of the old list will suck me back.

Marie and I can agree about the need to spark joy. There are days that I have so much joy that its like a freaking light show around here. On my joy list:

Any picture of my grandson

The return of Project Runway

Coffee in my chicken mug

Work that makes good use of my talents

Beading - making, organizing, wearing, creating

When one of my tutoring students has a lightbulb moment

Laughing with Jerry

Knowing my kids can tackle anything

My Kindle and its promise of thousands of books to read at the touch of a finger

Four hours of continuous sleep at night without needing to get up to pee

You Tube videos of old Tony Award shows

Sitting on my back deck in nice weather and watching the birds stuff themselves at the feeder

Looking at the framed pictures of my mother and grandmother

Dame Judi Dench

A sharpened Blackwing pencil

The fact that I could easily keep adding to the list gives me joy.