Finding Freedom… in the Basement
A personal reflection on change, letting go, and choosing now
As we approach Independence Day here in the U.S., I’ve been reflecting on what freedom really means—not just in the historical or patriotic sense, but on a deeply personal level.
This July, my own life is standing at the edge of a new chapter. After nearly 21 years in my current home in Concord, NH, I’m saying goodbye. And yes—it’s a messy mix of emotions.
This house has held so many chapters of my life:
Raising children. Gathering family and friends. Grieving losses. Discovering who I am—and who I am becoming.
But the time has come. And a new adventure is calling. We’ve bought a new home in Lee, NH, and this move is ushering in a season of change, clarity, and, dare I say… freedom.
The Basement Project (aka: The Thing I Kept Avoiding)
But first, I had to face the basement.
All 2,455 square feet of it.
This has been on my “annual projects list” for six years. Six. Years.
Every January, like clockwork, I’d write down: Clean the basement. And every December, I’d look at the same list and think, “Well, maybe next year.”
Sound familiar?
We convince ourselves that time will magically appear later. That we’ll have more energy, more clarity, more motivation… someday. And so we wait. We defer the decisions. We tell ourselves, “Not now. Later. When life slows down.”
And yet, life keeps happening. Until something pushes us to act.
In my case, it was the sale of our house and the undeniable truth that no moving company in the world could (or should!) haul a basement full of the past into a new chapter of life.
What I Found
So I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.
What I found was more than just clutter.
It was a time capsule of my life and the lives of those I love:
Boxes of holiday decorations and craft supplies
My favorite framed photos and wall hangings
My children’s schoolwork and artwork
My father’s photo albums and my mother’s dresses
My father-in-law’s childhood train set
My husband’s favorite books
My children’s great-grandmother’s vintage handbag collection
Sentimental. Sacred. Strange. All mixed together.
And then there were the mysteries—like the bag of stained glass window supplies (I’ve never made stained glass in my life), a backpack full of sports trading cards (who??), and most confusing of all… a box containing the entire setup for an aquarium. I have no memory of ever owning an aquarium.
The Basement as a Mirror
The deeper I went, the heavier it felt—not just physically, but emotionally.
Every item tugged on a heartstring, reminding me of a person, a moment, a memory, or a version of myself.
Some I welcomed with a smile.
Others brought tears.
And some just made me shake my head and laugh out loud.
The basement became a mirror—showing me not just what I’ve kept, but what I’ve been carrying:
Things long outgrown
Things I forgot I ever had
Things I thought defined me once, but no longer do
And yes, things I avoided dealing with because they felt too big, too messy, or just too painful
And yet, item by item, box by box, I made space.
Space not just in the basement, but in my heart.
“Someday” Is Now
As moving day gets closer, my husband is finally fixing the light switches that haven’t worked properly in years (why do we do this?!), and I am releasing the artifacts of yesterday.
We are both declaring something important:
We are no longer putting things off.
“Someday” is now.
There is freedom in that.
Redefining Freedom
True independence, I think, comes when we choose to stop waiting.
When we stop hauling around the emotional and physical weight of our former selves.
When we make peace with our past, and clear space for what’s coming next.
So let me ask you, as you reflect on your own life this July:
✨ What are you not doing because you think you’ll have more time later?
✨ What clutter—physical, emotional, or energetic—have you tucked away, thinking you’ll “get to it someday”?
✨ What would it feel like to be free from the weight of whatever it is you’re holding onto?
Freedom doesn’t always come with fireworks.
Sometimes it looks like taking a deep breath and finally starting that long-postponed project.
Sometimes it’s letting go of an old identity, a story, a “should” that no longer serves you.
And sometimes it’s as simple as tossing out a box of fish tank supplies you don’t remember ever owning.
Your Invitation
This move is teaching me to be more intentional.
To choose now.
To honor what was, live in what is—and step fully into what can be.
So if you’ve got a “basement” in your life, literal or metaphorical, I invite you to open the door.
You don’t have to wait for the perfect time.
You don’t have to do it all at once.
Just take one small step.
One box.
One conversation.
One truth.
Freedom is waiting for you on the other side.
