Several years ago, I had to clean out a deceased friend’s home to generate emergency funding for her parents’ 24-7 in-home care plus, plus, plus. It scarred me for life. No exaggerating. You’d never imagine how painful it might be to pitch someone’s shampoo and hairbrush until you’re on the floor exhausted and overwhelmed, bawling over it like a total lunatic. It is heavy, devastating work voiding someone’s life. Not fun. I decided then I’d never put my kids and loved ones through that and that I’d scream from the rooftops about how horrible the experience is so others know it’s a thing and can prepare for it. Thus, my Grand Plans work.

And now it’s time to put those Grand Plans to practice. This Lent I’ve been giving up the clutter. My Lenten offering is called “40 Bags for 40 Days.” Catchy, right?

So very day during Lent this year, I’ve been filling one grocery bag with items from my home that I no longer need, use or love and donating them to Goodwill or a local charity.

Lent is about making room. Making room for God. Making room for clarity. Making room for what matters.

We hold onto so much stuff, memories, “someday” items, guilt gifts, old versions of ourselves, Hummel figurines lol. This season, it’s been 100 percent therapeutic practicing release.

Each day on Facebook, I’ve been sharing:

what went in the bag

a scripture verse about letting go

a short reflection prompt

The response has been overwhelmingly ecstatic! People love this idea and have been participating and getting all jazzed up about it. I think there’s something to the mentality of even doing one bag or five or 10, as a way of making life a little easier on the people we love — the people who will one day have to process all this stuff we’ve accumulated over our lifetimes… the crap that weighs us down and promises… promises y’all, facts…to one day harm the people we love.

Decluttering and living with less is a big part of aging with health and wellness. Here’s why our overwhelming piles of stuff (and we all have it, by the way, no one is immune here…I’m not just talking about hoarders and junk mongers, I’m talking about YOU and ME) is bad for us, how it impacts our loved ones and where we can find help it filling 40 bags isn’t, no pun intended, your bag:

Why clutter can be bad for health + wellness: Research suggests that the way we experience our home environment matters biologically. In a landmark study that included in-home observations, women whose homes were rated as more “stressful” showed a flatter daily cortisol pattern—a stress-hormone profile associated with poorer health over time—along with worse mood across the day. And it’s not only correlational: an experimental study that manipulated household chaos found that higher chaos can increase stress and negative emotion during caregiving tasks. In other words, “too much stuff” can function like background noise for your nervous system—always pinging you with one more thing to manage.

Why it becomes a problem for the people we love: Our belongings eventually become someone else’s job. One practical data point: only 24% of Americans surveyed reported having a will in 2025, and 43% of those without a will said they “just haven’t gotten around to it.” When plans aren’t documented and homes are packed, loved ones often inherit the emotional weight and the logistical labor of sorting, donating, selling, and clearing—right when they may already be grieving.

Where to find help (and not do this alone):

• Find a professional organizer: NAPO “Find a Pro” directory
• Downsizing/relocation support (great for aging-in-place transitions, too): NASMM “Find a Senior Move Manager”
• Chronic disorganization/hoarding-informed help: ICD “Find a Professional” directory

My Lenten “one grocery bag a day” practice is manageable for most folks because it’s small enough to sustain and big enough to change the future atmosphere of our homes (and the future workloads of our people). So, fill a bag, call a professional organizer, call in the big guns — consider today how you can make your load lighter for your people. It’s the Lenten gift that keeps on giving!