Where Are All These Darn Pillows Coming From?

Can it be that pillows are like rabbits? Turn your back for a moment and suddenly two become four? Four become six? Six become eight?. That certainly is how it seems to work in our house. Without even trying, we’ve managed to collect enough pillows to fill a closet. All sorts of pillows. Sofa pillows and decorative bed pillows in every shade and color. Pillows to lay your head down at night. Pillows to support your back. King, queen, and regular sizes. All stuffed in one closet. Loaded in so tightly, I can’t open the door without pillows tumbling out.

Why Pillows?

We have friends who collect pottery. Some, fine glass. Go to their homes, the pottery and glass are on display. Others, own wonderful artwork. Some are even talented artists. They have lovely oils and charcoals mounted on the walls. A few friends are obsessed with fine china. Sets and sets of dishes that they keep away from the dishwasher even though they enjoy them during the holiday season. Others love Indian artwork. Okay, I get it. It’s wonderful to have beautiful things. Especially if they’re family heirlooms. That all makes sense to me. But why pillows?

I Blame the Moving Company

We’ve moved around a lot in the last few years. Detroit to San Francisco, and then on to Phoenix. Each time, we’ve hired movers to pack us up. At first, it was because we were too busy with our careers to do the packing ourselves. Then, it was because we were saving our strength for unpacking. Finally, it was sheer laziness, And somehow, along the way, the pillows began to pile up. New sofas, new bedding, and inattention to sorting through the excess.

Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Moe

And so, I’ve made up my mind. It’s time to free up the closet. Decide what we want to keep and give the rest to charity. Face up to the task. We can use the space. They’re just pillows after all. You can’t make a mistake getting rid of a pillow. Or can you? Maybe, on second thought, I should wait a bit longer. After all, it’s just the guest room closet. No one really goes in there. Shut the door—problem solved. Ah, magical thinking!