The Purge

When you realize what gives you joy isn't what you thought it would be

Jan 12, 2026

Marie Kondo I’m not.

Neither is BW, and the child is definitely not.

The day started well enough. BW and the child went to swimming lessons and I went and tried to Uber but the roads were too icy so I came home for lunch as an accident isn’t worth the risk.

This leaves us with a Sunday afternoon to kill. BW was shopping for furniture on her phone as she is apt to do - when she found this light:

She then told me that it was what I was getting for my anniversary gift this year.1

Not the gift I was hoping for, but happy wife = happy life. So I’m getting a lamp.

Yay me.

Something changed after that. BW started to look around and started to repeat “we have too much stuff” over and over again. I started to worry.

Anyway, one thing led to another and before I knew it I was getting rid of these 2 lamps on eBay:

“I’m sick of looking at these lamps and tables”, she said. “They are going”

Okay then.

I tried to convince her to sell them locally but we really don’t remember what we paid or what they’re worth so I will list them and see what they go for. I’m pretty sure that we didn’t pay much for them years ago so as they say in daycare: we get what we get and we won’t get upset.

The tables the lamp were sitting on are also ~~going~~ gone now. She gave them away on the Facebook group she is a member and then there was a footstool we had that was an acquired taste that I never really loved, so that went too while we were at it.

It all happened so fast- this purging of the stuff.

At this point the child and I were wondering if we were going to be next.

“I have seniority”, I told the child.

“I’m younger”, she replied. “You’re old”

Thankfully BW stopped at giving away lamps and footstools and end tables so for the time being it looks like the child and I escaped the great purge of 2026

We do have a coffee table that I’m also getting for our anniversary.