Earlier this week, I wrote about Jim’s sudden layoff this past Tuesday morning. One of the things that made it difficult was that he and the others were asked to leave the building immediately and make arrangements to pick up personal effects after business hours.

So today was Clean Out the Office Day. It hasn’t been something we’ve looked forward to, but I’ve been hoping it would provide some closure. I offered to go with Jim to get his things, but I wasn’t sure whether he’d like the idea or not – every time we try to clean up/declutter at home, we end up in a fight polite disagreement over what should stay and what should go.

No disagreements this time; it actually wasn’t that unpleasant and almost … fun.

I think we both feel relieved and there is a good sense of closure. And I’ve been reminded of three things:

1. When you have something difficult to do, it’s great not to have to do it alone. I think my presence made it easier for Jim — I was little or no physical help, but I’m pretty good at throwing things into boxes and I did encourage him to throw away some unnecessary stuff he might have been tempted to bring home.
2. No matter how bad things are, finding something to laugh about makes it just a little better. We can pretty much always find something funny, even if it’s just making fun of the ugly paneling (see below).
3. You really cannot move on until you have cleaned up after yourself. Get rid of the junk, keep what will be beneficial in the future. A true fresh start requires a good clean break. Clean out and move on.