To hoard or not to hoard….

I come from a long line of people who have hoarding tendencies. I always attributed my Dad and Aunt’s hoarding tendencies to their life style growing up. They were from a way different way of life and saving, reusing and recycling was a necessity to life. (She catches her shower water and uses it to flush the toilet BTW) But I am starting to realize that I may have some hoarding tendencies of my own and what excuse do I have? I saw the first sign when I opened my pantry door to put in an empty coffee can that I thought to myself, I will find a use for that, and saw four more of the same container. One holding oat flour, one holding coffee packs and the other empty waiting for its new use. Then I looked at J’s crafts and saw two more that were painted and holding crafts. The second sign was when I went to look for something in the dish cabinet and found 10 glass applesauce jars that were waiting to be reused. The third sign was when I opened the linen closet and started to clean it out to find a bag of old t-shirts, underwear and socks that I remember not being able to bring myself to throw out when going through clothes a while back. What the heck am I going to use those for??? My Aunt (see above) suggested using socks as dusters. “Just put your hand in them and swipe away the dust” she said. I even use one for holding the girls' hair ties. The more I think about it the more I am like them. I walk past a trashcan…if it has paper in it; I move the paper to the recycle bin!!! The other day I wrote a note on the garbage can in the teacher’s lounge scolding the wasters. It read: “walk two extra steps to save a tree.” I also brought home the large strip of laminating paper at the end of a sheet for J to paint on. I just couldn’t throw it away. This new realization has made me somewhat terrified as to what the future holds if I am starting to recognize the similarities between me and the tendencies that I used to be so embarrassed by in my past. It also has made me slightly motivated and determined to figure out what to do with the 7000 white t-shirts that my husband has an obsession with buying and ruining!!!