"A change of scenery will do you good."

I slept in a motel last night because I was working late at a conference 75 miles from home. I actually slept very well. I think the uncluttered, no paperwork, no emotional reminders in the environment of the motel room helped put my mind to rest. Tonight through Sunday night I plan to be in Virginia at my sister’s house. A change of scenery will probably do me good and I expect I will sleep fairly well.

But the answer to sleeping well is not to move. Rather, I have to resolve paperwork issues and I have to make decisions on finances and possessions. It seems the only way I am going to feel more at ease at home is to take care of these things. Probably that’s why it felt so good to clean the garage last weekend. I’ve got to assertively take care of things in every aspect of the home and of my finances.

And the answer is not to remove all reminders of Jackie from my environment. I want to continue to express my love for her and celebrate the life we had together. I need and want to lovingly remember Jackie but not to be under a constant burden of things that I need to take care of now that she is gone.

So, yes, while it is true that “A change of Scenery will do you good”, the best thing I can do to help put my mind at ease and thus sleep better is probably to pursue my goal of going through the whole house, taking care of paperwork and making decisions.