collections vs. hoarding

I love the TLC show, hoarding.

I often watch it and cannot help but think about

how these people cannot see that it is not healthy to live

that way. When they speak, they explain about their

"collections" and how they can't part with them,

yet they can't seem to find them in their hoarding spaces.

I know, for me, I have way too many collections.

I have been a collector since I was a little girl.

If I like something, I never stop liking it and I seem to take

care of my collections.

For instance, I love journaling and I love collecting journals.

I have some that are not written in and I have many that

are filled to the hilt with my words, my thoughts.

They may never mean anything to anyone but me,

but they are stored in a place of honor in my bedroom.

On a bookshelf, lines a whole row of filled journals.

As Cami-girl explains them, they are my written novels.

Then there is my collection of scrap things.

If I fall in love with something as I have with scrapping,

I have a tendency to need all/most of the things

that go with the hobby.

I have a collection of stamps and a collection of cricut cartridges.

I am proud when people come to my home to "play"

with me in my scrap room.

Many of my people know to call or make a play date with

me if they have a project they want to work on

or just want to feel crafty.

I love not only sharing all my scrap collection with others

but I also get very excited to show others the craft of scrapping.

HOBL does not understand this one.

How when I am in the middle of a project, the scrap room cannot

be cleaned. I don't try and explain it, just tell

him that my scraproom is off limits to his OCD cleaning.

I don't have to explain because in our marriage,

although we joke sarcastically about our ways,

we both know that some things are to be respected

no matter how we feel about it.

He leaves my scrap room alone and I leave his side

of the closet alone.

It helps our marriage so much.

I also have a book collection.

I don't collect all books even though I love all books.

A book that lives in my home is either one I love,

can't live without or it has something about it that

brings me strong, good feelings.

There are others...

I have a cross stitch string collection,

have to have every color,

I have a coffee pot collection,

I own a wonderful miniature/dollhouse stuff collections.

I get so proud when the little kiddies come to my home

and one of the first places they want to go

is in my china cabinet that better than holding my wedding china,

holds most of my miniature collection.

It makes me happy that when they leave,

I have to wipe many lip and fingertip marks

off the glass of my china cabinet.

So what separates me from a hoarder.

I value my collections, I care for them

and each hold a place of honor in our home.

My home is neat and organized and if asked,

I can produce each collection and discuss it in its entirety.

One day, if ever I have a larger home,

I long to have an entire large room, dedicated to my collections.

It will hold a library, a wall full of book shelves to hold my

self-written "novels" as well as every book I have ever

fallen in love with since I was a child.

It will have a comfortable chair with a snuggie over the side of it.

I will have a space for crafting, whether it be scrapping or building

doll houses, It will be able to be messy until the project I am working on

is complete. If that home never comes it is perfectly fine

because in this home I love so much, each collection is perfectly

tucked into their own spaces of honor.