Taxes ...

Have you ever considered writing-off people like you write-off clothes for tax purposes? I mean, it’s really a wonderful thing when you think about it. You have a closet full of clothes that are extremely difficult to get rid of, because they hold some sort of sentimental value and you know that if you didn’t really need the space, you’d never even consider getting rid of the items. But deep down, whether you truly wish to hold on to the items of not, you realize that it’s time to move on, clear out that space, and make way for new things.

Similarly, many of us have people in our lives that need to be written-off in order to free up space within our minds. While there are those that are like a white T-shirt –good and dependable throughout the course of time, others need to be donated to society for the next person to use. It’s not that they’re completely useless and should be thrown away, but rather, they are no longer of use for the purpose that they once served in our lives. Perhaps someone else will gain something from them –quite possibly something that we never could. Perhaps someone else will use them until they find they fulfill their purpose and once again, donate that person to society. Perhaps this cycle will happen time and again. Perhaps it will happen only once. Who knows?

Unlike donated clothing, the reward won’t be anything monetary, but instead it’d likely be much needed peace-of-mind and the retention of our sanity. Donate a few shirts, write them off, and get a few bucks back. Donate a person or two, write them off, and get a portion of your sanity back. Of course writing a person off doesn’t mean that you have to stop acknowledging their presence or existence. If you recognized someone wearing a shirt that you knew for a fact was something that you donated, wouldn’t you say to yourself “Hey, that’s my shirt!” or something similar? If you see that person you donated, there’s no reason why you can’t speak to them. I mean, you used to have good times together, right? If they were difficult to part with in the first place, it’s only natural that you’d still have some affection for them. 

So far in 2008, I’ve officially written off one person, but it’s beginning to look like that number will be up to three by the time taxes are due next year. While necessary, the task is never an easy one, but I’m realizing that the more difficult it is to get rid of because of my attachment to the donation, the greater the recuperation of my sanity. The task is never an easy one …