One Wee Spark

When I left home at 18, I felt such a great relief at being out of the reach of my HP (hoarding parent). I would later find out that much of my mother's personality that drove me crazy was due to untreated bipolar disorder, and not necessarily her hoarding issues, but what I knew then was that if I didn't get out somehow , I would lose my own mind. But shortly after leaving, as the holidays approached, birthdays were celebrated, and I realized that my support system had been dramatically pruned, I missed my mother--the good parts of her--deeply. For all the bad that I had survived, she was my mother. I loved her; I hated her. I've read stories and blogs by other COHs who share a similar experience with their HP. On the one hand, the condition of the home and the insanity that hoarding marked drove them crazy. They hate how this mental illness has robbed them of a "healthy, normal" childhood, and yet as the same time they want nothing more than for their HP to have

Because I am getting increasing traffic, I want to take a moment each week to share some awareness, not just about hoarding and cluttering, or growing up in the home of a hoarder, but also about mental illness in general. I first saw this commercial with Glenn Close during the Super Bowl almost 18 months ago. I'm not sure my loved ones would appreciate me wearing a shirt that reads: Mother; Daughter. However, I know that my mother and children who are affected would love to be accepted unconditionally by society. Awareness is important. We don't badger diabetics or those with cancer. Why do we taunt those with a mental illness??? Think about it. Talk about it. 1 in 6 people are affected by a mental illness. It could be you. Now...how do you want to be viewed and treated? Also, check out Bring Change 2 Mind .

My good friend, Matt Paxton, the owner of Clutter Cleaner has a new project! This Saturday, June 18th at 1pm EST (check your local listings) on A&E his new show, "Dirty Money" will air. Matt is one of those rare guys who feels like family after five minutes. He's seen ups and downs in his own life, and he's real about it. According to his blog, 5 Decisions Away , this show will highlight his less serious side. Having filmed with him over four days, I've seen this side! And he is a total crack up! [Insert funny story which Matt would never speak to me about here!] Such a bummer that I can't share...but I look forward to seeing him and the Clutter Cleaner crew. This is a PILOT, so if you want to see Matt MORE, please watch!

[First, I wanted to mention this little tidbit! This is my 100th post! Yay! I don't have a big special planned like on the Ellen Show, but I think it's a pretty important milestone since there were many times I considered calling it quits. But in the last month, my traffic has increased on average almost 400-percent! Thanks for sticking with me!] James 3:13-18 NKJV And now for the reality check... One of the things that has become apparent to me is my need to be realistic about my value, not just in a self-worth or self-esteem kind of way, but also in relation to the value of others. It's easy to have something fantastic happen to you and forget that while you are being blessed, others are still broken and hurting. But our current state has nothing to do with our true value. "For you are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." -I Corinthians 6:20 I was bought with a price while I was still broken, messed u