Last night at my chapter meeting \I was asked by peers, and it's a question I get asked a lot quite frankly.... Why do I LOVE working with folks who hoard?
The work conditions are dangerous, and sometimes hazardous. I work with people that are depressed, overwhelmed, and I work with a lot of people who have suffered trauma.
There is a bright side! Even the most extreme cases bring us stories of joy. There is a fighter within all of our Clients. A fire inside that needs to burn. When we help someone save their home, or repair a strain on a marriage or relationship due to clutter we help fuel that flame. We help remind them of a time when they were happy, and we help them get their lives back on track. I am honored to be invited in to share such a sacred time in their lives.
- They see a use for everything. A broken piece of ceramic on the floor to become a mosaic, saved hair from the bath drain for compost, that milk carton doubles as a flower pot and so on. Dear Collectors, Thank you for debating, arguing and literally showing me your points. I literally never would have known the many ways to use a bread twist tie. Your creativity is boundless. Thank you for being so resourceful.
- They make it work. Whether they are teetering across five feet of garbage, or stacking hat boxes in a corner with magazines and important mail mixed in my Clients know how to make it work. Like skilled survivalists climbing over and under to get a drink of water. Sleeping on their beds with everything but the kitchen sink. Remarkable. The adaptability factor is intriguing.
- They make me laugh. And laughing is good for the mind, body and soul. Even in the most severe cases, we are able to find humor in something. Even when there is pressure of eviction, divorce and family members launching attacks, we find ourselves laughing throughout the day. After going through the 50th large home depot box of mystery items, and the 3,000 garments in their closets you really get to know someone well. You tend to joke around by that time. We are all exhausted, emotions have run high, and it's always good to get a good laugh in. I love how the majority of my Clients see humor in their collections and situations.
As a side note Collectors, I LOVE going through your mystery boxes. Thank you for your time capsules, and random acts of organizing.
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I love the way your clients no matter what their condition or disorder are. I enjoyed very much this piece of post you shared.
ReplyDeleteSuch positive thoughts! I love this post! We too often hear about the horrors of hoarding. I love that you find the good in the situation without glorifying the bad as the media does. Also, I do the same with my clients when we are exhausted...LAUGH! It's the best medicine!
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