The truth about unopened drawers? I think I know what is in them. I think I know what I’ve hidden in the deep corners of those dusty drawers. All those inconspicuous things muddled together in the dark with an unknown purpose.

The drawers are built-ins. They are snug within a small space between the bathroom and the bedroom. I pass them everyday knowing they are overflowing with stuff. I won’t even open them for fear the stuff would just flood the small space and smother me. I get that feeling every time I pass those drawers.

I spent three hours last Sunday afternoon clearing out two of the four drawers.  The top, smaller drawer, organized in narrow baskets of hair bands, hair clips and make-up. The second drawer is empty in case I have a house guest. My goal was to clear out the two bottom drawers to give myself the space I needed to store my work out clothes. I hired a personal trainer two weeks ago. On the first day of our workout I could not find my clean work out clothes. Having had nowhere to put them, I balanced them on the lid of the clothes hamper. I told myself I would clear out the scary drawers.

I emptied the drawers completely. Struggling with arms full, I unceremoniously dropped the bundle of many colors on the floor in the living room. Once I had wiped down the inside of each drawer, I stared down into them. They were open like baby bird’s mouths waiting for a feeding. I felt like the mother being careful about what I would put into those empty bellies.

In the living room the pile was lifeless. I began to sort. T-shirts to donate. T-shirts to recycle. Socks with no mates. Oh, another sports bra! Who knew? I purchased a new one that very morning thinking I did not have a third one. Now I had four. I discovered I had six pairs of socks among the uncoupled, worn ones.  A small victory within the pile. I recycled all those lonely socks with no partner.  After I decided which things I would keep, I folded everything. I carried them ever so gently and laid them into the third drawer. So beautiful. I placed the socks in the middle row that formed between work out leggings and work out bras. I could only stare amazed.

The fourth drawer was ready to fill. Assorted scarves overflowed on the floor. I sorted them by color, then fabrication. I have more than I need in red and black. I have beige, brown and multi-colored ones too. Some are hand-crocheted. Some are wool.  And several are sheer, elegant, silky scarves like the ones they might wear on “Mad Men”. I kept the colors that were instinctively my favorites. I am all about color. Color is what I see first, so I let that instinct guide me. After I decided what to keep I folded everything. I carried them ever so gently and laid them in the fourth drawer. Keeping things organized is often about repetition. I put the scarves in the lowest drawer specifically because I will use them far less than my work out clothes.

I am happy.  I feel like I can breathe. I have a place for my work out clothes that are now very much a priority. I have given them due diligence by creating a space for them to live. And here’s the truth, I have created a better place for me to live.