A reflection for May — and for anyone navigating what to keep, what to release, and what it all means
This time of year, I find myself thinking about my mother. Not just the big memories — but the small, ordinary ones that somehow hold the most weight.
As I was preparing for this month’s podcast episode, I realized that so much of what I’ve learned about organizing, about time, and about letting go came directly from her. So today I want to share a few of those lessons — in case they resonate with something you’re carrying right now, too.
About the Stuff
I still remember playing with my mother’s shoes, her clothes, her handbags, and her jewelry. As a little girl, those items weren’t just accessories — they were treasures.
Some of those handbags and pieces of jewelry, I still own today. I kept her trunk — the one she traveled with and later used for storage — and I continue that tradition. It’s more than storage. It’s continuity.
I’ve also begun incorporating her photos and paintings into my home instead of keeping them tucked away. I took a glass sandwich tray that belonged to her and now use it to hold my perfume bottles. A beautiful tin can stores her pearls.
It’s not about keeping everything. It’s about keeping what tells the story.
This is something I come back to again and again, both in my own life and in the work I do with clients. The goal was never to have less. The goal is to be intentional — to surround yourself with what carries meaning, and release what doesn’t.
About Time
Here’s what I’ve come to understand: what I cherish most aren’t the items themselves — but the moments they hold.
Watching TV together. Laughing. Listening to her stories. Looking through the many photographs she took as a photographer. When I look back at those photos, they take me right back to being that little girl in patent leather shoes.
Time is what makes the stuff meaningful. Without the shared experiences, objects are simply objects. The vase doesn’t matter because it’s a vase — it matters because of who held it, and when, and why you remember.
This is worth sitting with, especially if you’re in the middle of sorting through a parent’s belongings, or your own. Give yourself permission to feel what comes up. That’s not inefficiency. That’s you honoring what time has given you.
About Letting Go
My mother had a weekly ritual.
The night before trash day, she would gather everything that needed to go — trash and recycling — and she would almost get excited about it. There was something freeing about watching things leave the house.
And I still practice that ritual today.
Letting go isn’t harsh. It isn’t disrespectful. It’s part of living well. We keep what serves us. We honor what matters. And we release what no longer does — not because it wasn’t valuable once, but because we’re ready to move forward.
Letting go creates space — for clarity, for breathing, for what comes next.
If there’s something in your home, or in your heart, that’s been waiting to be released, maybe this is your gentle nudge. You don’t have to do it all at once. You just have to start.
This month, I’d love for you to pick one thing — one small ritual, one drawer, one box — and begin there. See what it feels like to let something go with intention.
And if you want a little help figuring out where to start, I’m here for that too.
Ready to clear the clutter and create space for what truly matters? Let’s work together.
Book a Session with Janet → janetmtaylor.trafft.com
Janet M. Taylor is alife organizer and speaker. She is the founder of Totally Organized, LLC and host of the podcast Got Clutter? Get Organized! She helps women navigate life transitions with clarity, intention, and a lot less clutter.
