Here’s a free service to assist those of us letting go of the physical clutter. You can go online to the Vietnam Vets and schedule a day for them to pick up your gently used stuff, rain or shine:

http://www.scheduleapickup.com/

The pick-up service is free, and they leave a receipt to submit for tax deductions, along with a great bright yellow plastic bag for future donations. They provide options to fit diverse housing arrangements – you can request to have them call to remind you of pickups, knock when they arrive, or my favorite, the stealth pick-up – they take the boxes off of my front porch without so much as ringing the door bell. Afterward, from time to time I get an e-mail from them saying, essentially, “we need your stuff,” and it prompts me to look around and consider what I’m willing to let go of in exchange for more space and time.