“Rightsize Your Life: Marni Jameson on Letting Go, Moving Forward, and Living Better”

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What's up, my good people? Welcome to the CJ Moneyway Show in association with Believe Network and GI, the state's capital, where we bring you stories behind the success. Today we're talking about something we all face but rarely talk about honestly— letting go of the past to make room for life We Want Next. I guess Marnie Jameson, America's most beloved mom and most beloved home and lifestyle columnist, a best-selling author and a nationally recognized expert on downsizing, right-sizing, and blending homes. Whether you're entering a new chapter of life, merging households, or just feeling the weight of too much stuff, this episode is for you. Marnie's latest book, Downright Today— Downright Size Today to Create Your Best Life Tomorrow— is more than a guide, it's a philosophy. Marnie, welcome to the show.

Thank you for having me, CJ.

I appreciate you coming on, although I'm a little jealous. As you guys don't know, Marnie is in Florida, sunny Florida, and on this weekend, her and her girls. Watch out, Florida, they gonna be riding their bikes and stop and get coffee along the way. I'm jealous because I'm here in Northwest Indiana and it's been cold. But like I told her, it's been— it's nice today, so me and my wife gonna go out and enjoy this nice day after I get through talking to my new buddy Marnie. Marnie, so let me ask you, right-sizing and downsizing. Let's start there. What is right-sizing and how is it different from downsizing?

Well, let me get a wind back a little bit. And I started writing a long time ago, about 10 years ago, about downsizing, my cleaning out my parents' home. And then I was getting a divorce and move, getting remarried and blending and getting rid of stuff. And, and I wrote Downsizing the Blended Home. And then, then I wrote What to Do with Everything You own, to leave a legacy you want. And this is getting depressing, right? This is about divorce and death and parents, you know. And I'm like, okay, I'm over the downsizing, even though it's important. But I thought, you know, what I really want to talk about is not death and dying, is living well now. And, you know, in the last third of life, let's say, you know, 50+, your kids might be, you know, off, one hopes, and you may not have to live in the house that you lived because it was near schools or near a job you no longer have to go to because you work remotely or you're not working? And why are you living in this house? Is it because your attic's too full, or, you know, what's keeping you down, holding you back? And, you know, I really want people to bust out and think about where would I live if I could live anywhere, and what's standing between me and that right-sized life? So to me, the definition of right-sizing is living in a place that is the right social, emotional, physical, and financial fit. And you really have to evolve and reinvent yourself and be honest and look at your life. If you still, you know, have your kids are 35 and you have their Cub Scout uniform, you got an issue, you know, you gotta like shake it off and move on and streamline and, and get going. So I like people to evolve, shake up the past a little bit. Doesn't mean throw everything away, but you know, be nimble enough to move forward and embrace your best life.

I like that, I like that. She said that if you still holding on to that Cub Scout outfit and your son or daughter is 35 years old, 40 years old, you need to get rid of that. And I also like the fact she said, hey, this is depressing, I gotta find something that's gonna motivate me and give me more joy. I'm tired of talking about death and all this stuff. And so I'm glad that you moved on from that. So let's talk about this, um, Marnie, emotional clutter. You said that it's not just about the stuff, it's the meaning behind the stuff. Why is it so hard for people to let go and how do you coach them through all of that?

That is such— that is really the heart of it, CJ. It's everything we own, we endow with some kind of meaning. So your hat, you know, is that Pirates or Pittsburgh? What is that P for?

That's Philadelphia.

All right. Well, that you made at a ball game, or maybe you went with your son and it was a big day for you. It's not just the ball cap anymore. It's endowed with some kind of meaning. Your Lakers poster behind you, maybe somebody impressive signed it and it was like a big day. So we don't— our stuff isn't neutral once we take ownership of it. It's like a little kid and a teddy bear. They endow it with all this meaning, the security. And we know it's just a teddy bear, but tell them that, right? So we have to understand that. Underneath everything are these feelings of attachment. But once we get past that and we understand what this endowment theory is all about, that we endow everything with meaning and we recognize what a flimsy scaffolding that really is to hang all this stuff on these stories, then we can start to let go with a word of caution. I still have some things from my parents and some things from my grandparents. I will not let go. My grandmother's rolling pin, she baked all the bread in the house, right? I've got my dad's cigar box sitting on my desk. He worked in a cigar factory. He didn't smoke cigars, but he worked there. These have meaning to me. But if I had saved everything, this place would be a landfill. So I think what is important to come away is, is this: when everything is important, nothing is important. So have a few things that are super meaningful that you touch on to remind you of the past, remind you of events of your life, remind you of loved ones, but don't overdo it. Be super selective because then they become very precious and you don't get overwhelmed.

I like that. She said take the stuff that's meaningful, but do not be a hoarder. Just don't go filling your garage up with memorable stuff because it's not good for you. Take it from the expert. Hey, so Let me ask you, Marty, the mindset shift. How can people start to embrace the idea that less is more without feeling like they're losing part of their identity or their history?

So I think you need a mindset. You know, we're, we're living in the most consumer-focused time in history, and Americans are the worst consumer— not the, the worst or the best. I don't know which way you want to look at it, but we consume more than any other in our history, in our group of population. And that is— means we have way too many storage units and storage facilities, and it's just nuts. So I think we need to really focus on what is it, how do we want our life to look, and create a mindset. So in my book, I talk about maybe 10 or so things that can motivate you to get rid of some stuff. So maybe it's you want to have friends over and not be embarrassed because your house is kind of a kind of a heck and, and you want to, you know, streamline it. Maybe you want to park one or two cars in your garage and you haven't been able to for a while because it's so stuffed. Maybe you want to open a closet and not be embarrassed that it's so overwhelming it's gonna fall on your head. So maybe you get a picture of what it is you want and you visualize opening a closet and having spare room, having friends over for dinner and not being embarrassed that everything's a hot mess, being able to park your car. So visualize that and let that motivation drive you until you get there. And there are a lot of little tricks you can use. Like, mm, I like the idea of a trial separation. Like, take, you know, even if you think you cannot possibly part with that quilt that your grandmother made that's kind of falling apart, put it in a box, put it in the garage, or set it aside and revisit it in 6 months, and I guarantee you it's going to have grown cold by then, and then you can kind of offload it. So there are a lot of tricks, but I think start with the vision in mind of a beautiful life one that's not weighing you down, one that keeps you free of the clutter. And you can keep the stories. I don't— another thing I say is, is like with my mom, your mother was a piano player or something. Don't keep the piano, but maybe keep her pearls, right? I keep my mom's pearls, but I don't keep her big, her big china hutch. So keep them small, the precious, the small, the few, and let those be enough.

You heard it from the expert again. Let some things just be enough. So you mentioned this earlier a little bit, so I want you to touch up on this a little bit, Marty. The blended house dilemma. You've also written about blended homes and households, especially later in life. What are some of the biggest challenges couples face when merging lives under one roof?

I love this question. So when I met my husband, we were in our early 50s, and I had been a live-in home stager, and I had been designing homes to help them sell with my things. So I thought they were beautiful, and they were purged, and I had moved a lot, so I had edited everything down to just the essentials. And my husband was a widower and lived in a house that he shared with his late wife for 20 years, and it was packed to the gills. So I I wasn't very popular going in there and saying, we need to get rid of all this stuff. Right. It was really touchy. And, but I'm like, my stuff's perfect. You know? And he kept saying, how come you're not getting rid of anything? I'm like, I've already gotten rid of everything. So, so there you have to, I sort of thought, hey, I'm the expert here. I'm the home design columnist. I got this. You just go to work. I'll fix the house up. And he's like, but where's my stuff going to go? I'm like, your stuff? Oh, okay, honey, I love you, but your stuff, not so much. Right. We went a few rounds over the dining room table. That was one of the biggest things because you can only have one of those. So anyway, I will say proceed with caution, proceed with sensitivity. Don't make huge assumptions. You got to kind of humble yourself. You know, you realize that— put love first. You're in this relationship because you presumably love this person and you don't want to squash them. So we came to some terms where— and the book kind of talked us through— well, first of all, you have to do the math. CJ, one house plus one house has to equal one house. So you each have to lose half a house if you're going to have one house together. And here's the awful part. You really have to lose a little more than half a house because you need to buy some stuff together. So you need to have yours, mine, and ours. So there's a lot of letting go. So kind of gets back to what we talked about with the downsizing and what's precious. Pick each one of you gets to pick 5 things that would break your heart to lose. I have a painting, oil painting of California, where I grew up. It's of the fields that I remember growing up as a girl. It's really meaningful to me. I have it in our living room. That's something I really wouldn't want to let go of. And he has an oak roll-top desk that he got when he finished college. And he was like, finally a professional and those things that mean something. Okay, pick your 5. And then everything else is neutral. It's like, and you shop it as neutrally as possible, like it's a garage sale. And you just say, okay, which sofa would fit best here? You know, and you start making, which blender is better? So we don't want two. And you try to keep what's best and what's going to work for you in a new, in neutral territory. So that's kind of like the speed date of the book, but that's, um, that's the big idea.

I like it. You know, um, it put me in the mind. Of a TV show we used to watch back in the day, The Martin Lawrence, uh, Martin Show. They had an episode like that, which Gina had moved in and they had two blenders, two toasters, and they are, you know, who toasted was the best, which one was gonna stay. But, uh, I have to ask you, you said that, um, because it's a wonderful thing to find love after 50, and so you're a testament to that. So I have to ask, how long were you uh, you know, divorced or, uh, or sep— or, you know, that situation with your ex before you found love again?

So 2 and a half years-ish. I moved from— I was living in Colorado and I moved to Florida by myself. Well, one daughter was off to college and one daughter came with me. And, um, and then I didn't— I didn't date or do anything. I just was getting her through high school and working and, and doing all that. But when she went off to college And that was— we were about 2 years in. She's like, Mom, you're going to be all alone. You should probably start dating. I'm like, ah, that sounds horrible. My daughters came home for Thanksgiving and they put me on one of those match sites. And it wasn't long and I found a man and I'm glad they forced me to do it. But 2 and a half years or so.

That's pretty cool. That's pretty cool that your daughters was even like, hey Mom, you need to get out there and not be by yourself, you know. Hey, get over it and move on. Get that clutter out the way.

Emotional editing, right? Emotional editing.

There you go.

Hey, so, uh, Marty, let me ask you, Designing for Love. In your book, you talked about designing with love first. What does that look like in practice when two styles and stories collide? As you was talking about just before, in one house?

Yeah, well, it's tricky. Um, so you do need to bridge design, and my husband tends to like more modern things. And for instance, he likes this artist that literally airbrushes paint on aluminum, aircraft aluminum. Not my thing. I like Trenton oils of landscapes. Okay, but we have what you would call a transitional home. So you can bridge the modern and the traditional with what they call transitional. So you can pick patterns and fabrics that kind of make a— marry the two. But I do think everyone needs to be represented. And, and even a child, if you have— our kids were on their way when we, when we got into the same house, but if you have a child at home, they need to be represented too. So everyone needs to have their fingerprints on the house and feel like it's theirs. And also embracing what the other person's love is. Like, if that— if they're passionate about— like, my husband's a big Steelers fan, right? He's from— he's from the 'burg, and he loves, um, you know, so I— we have Panther heads in our house and things like that, you know. Um, anyway, it's important that everyone gets represented and not to steamroll, which kind of let me circle back. We were fortunate that we were buying a house together. If you're in a situation where somebody's just moving into your house, ooh, look out, because you got to do more than scoot your clothes over in the closet and make room in the garage. You got to like take stuff out and make room for this other person's energy, life, and style. It's important.

Yeah, that is.

It may not seem like it, but it's, it's, it's a, it's grounds for friction, which you just don't want to have.

You know, Marty, I think I might let my wife listen to this or have her to call you to get some, uh, uh, advice as far as, uh, styling the house together. Because I'm just, uh— she asked me, she'll include me, I, I give her that, but she know that I'm really not, you know, it's basically I'd be like, yeah baby, yeah, that's look good. Because at the end of the day, she's gonna do what she wants to do.

Whatever works. They're not caring as much, but I was I was stunned when my husband had opinions. I'm like, oh, that's so inconvenient.

Like, she's getting some backsplash. We just went over some stuff the other day. She's getting some backsplash on the walls, and, uh, I want to do— I want to redo my garage. I want to redo the floors and everything or whatnot. So we— that's where we at. I'm like, you do yours and I'm gonna do mine. Matter of fact, we're going to look at the tile and stuff when I get off this call today. Um, so it's fair. You do you, I'ma do me. And she asked me, she's like, do you like this? I'm like, yeah, it's nice. You know, we went through it or whatever, but I already know, Marnie, that she's gonna do what she was going to do anyway. Because if I say, okay, I like this one, she's like, okay, she's gonna go back, think about it, and then she's going to go with the choice that she had already made up in her mind before she even asked me. About it. You know, you're a woman, Marty. Come on now, let's keep it 100. So, uh, Marty, let me, let me ask you this. Letting go with grace. You can share a story from your own life where you had to let go of something meaningful, as you talked about before, as far as with the piano and how you kept the pearls. And letting go with grace and something, and what that moment actually taught you.

Oh, there's so many. Um, here's a story. My mom, when I was cleaning out our house, uh, she had some purses in her closet, and there was this crocodile purse. It was really— she always thought it was so fancy, and she never carried it as far as I could tell. And it was wrapped up in a felt bag with a drawstring. I'm like, well, this is special. And she, she never carried it, but it— and I was— when I was a little girl, I'd play with her purses, and I think that one was really important. And, um, and so, you know, as I'm going through her things and I come across this crocodile purse. I'm thinking, oh, you know, now what do I do with this? And when I was very small, 3 months old, my parents moved to France for my dad's work, and we lived there for a few years. And she and my dad went out to dinner at this— we were not a chichi family, but they went to a chichi dinner for their anniversary at the Hôtel de Paris de la Poste. And Apparently she took this purse with her, but she used to talk about that dinner, how the butter came curled, and she wore her dress and out with her handsome husband and whatever, you know. And, and I'm listening to the story, and then it all kind of came full circle when I opened the purse and inside was the menu from the Hôtel de Paris de la Poste where she and my dad had dined way back. And I thought, wow, now what do I do with this purse, right? This is important. But if I was objective, CJ, it looked like an old lady's handbag. The handle was kind of cracked, you know. I'm like, but it meant a lot to her. So here I am, right? There's the Devil in the Deep Blue Sea. And I realized, I said, now why did Mom keep this purse? To tell me someday that once upon a time she was a young woman out on the town in France with her dashing husband, so I could remember her that way. And I did. In that moment, I was—

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Did what it needed to do, and I let go of the purse.

Mm, that was heartfelt right there. Your mother say, I had a good time, just remember me for this moment right here, because that was the time of her life, you know.

That was the time. Yes.

Yeah, it did do the job because you can— because like, I get tongue-tied and there's no way that I'm even going to try to pronounce Hotel Del Rio.

You don't have to. Hotel de Paris de la Poste.

All right, so man, that's nice that, that your mother have a daughter who thinks of her in that way and still talks about her, you know, saying as if she was still out on that night in France with her stunning husband. So let me ask you, uh, Marty, staging the— staging the future. When it comes to preparing to sell a home, staging is a buzzword, but what emotional or energetic role does staging play in helping people move forward?

Oh man, you're asking the right girl. When I moved to, to Florida, I had a house in Colorado and I hadn't sold it and I couldn't afford my own house. So I stumbled into this gig as a live-in home stager. I lived in challenged properties, but they were nice homes that I decorated with my, my things to sell. And the better I was, the faster I was out on the street. So that was kind of a conflict for me. But I lived in 6 houses in 4 years. And my job was to— yeah, it's a lot of moving. And my job was to make— present them. So what are the tricks? And there are tricks. So one of the important things, CJ, is to— your job is to is to have some potential buyer walk in your home and say, oh wow, if I lived here, my life would fall into place too. I would have this wonderful lifestyle. So there are some tricks. Now don't tell anybody, this is just between us because they're going to know it's a gig. But you, for instance, in your daughter's room, you might have like a little ballerina dress hanging up and toe shoes just to show, oh, you know, this is what if I had a daughter who was a ballerina or the boys, I don't mean to be gender, you know, non-neutral, but in the boys' room, You might have a baseball bat and a mitt and a ball, you know, sitting in the corner, just like staging. But all the stuff is out, like extra clothes, all that's offsite. And not to be too personal, don't have pictures of your wedding all around because the buyers are gonna get all locked in on you guys and not look at the house. So you want that, you wanna get rid of any pet paraphernalia, pet bowls, pet beds, pet smells. I've got dogs. But they're, you know, you can't, you don't want any trace of them. You want to get rid of anything that's overtly religious, like don't have the Bible sitting out or your, you know, cross over the door. Just not, just don't even go there. You don't want to cook onion soup the night before. Make sure everything smells fresh. So in addition to be uber clean and uncluttered, you also have to think of all the senses, you know, and the emotions. So You want to see shelf space in the closet. Like, actually, sometimes you could put a little— maybe not you, CJ, but like a Victoria's Secret bag or a Tiffany's bag or something on something that shows a lifestyle, you know, on your closet shelf. Like, oh yeah, I was just shopping at a high-end store. Not that I do, but project a lifestyle. Put out a picture of, you know, lemons and lemonade on the table with some fun napkins. Like, oh, you're— you know, we could just come in and have lemonade or a margarita or whatever. Whatever. So project a lifestyle, be super uncluttered, room to spare, no pets, nothing personal, and you'll sell your home. I've done it 4 times where I've, I've sold the home in 24 hours after staging it first to the first people that walked in. So it works, you know, and it's in the books. I write, I write about it. Yeah.

You said, uh, you were talking about pets. Don't have pets in the house and the pet smell. And, uh, before we moved here where we, where we are— well, actually, we came to this house first. And so I already knew once we came here, as I told you earlier about my wife, she had already made up her mind that this was the house that she wanted to move in. She— it was already made, although we went to go look at some more. She already made up her mind that this was the house. And so I say that to say this, so the next house we went to We went in there, it had a basement, and that's, that's all I want. I wanted a man cave. I wanted a man cave. I want a basement. It had the poker table down there, everything. It was, it was, that's what I wanted. But it smelled like, and it had a trampoline in the backyard, and you know, she wanted that for our son because he was younger at the time. But it smelled like dog all the way through. As soon as you walk in the house, it just smelled like dog. And so I totally agree with you that that is a total turnoff. It is a total turnoff. I was willing to deal— I was willing to deal with the dog smell to get that basement, but I already knew she had her mind made up. I already knew.

I can smell it just when you talk to me. But there is a secret on that one, if— and you have to be honest. Sometimes people don't smell their own pets, right? Yeah, you get— it's— you become nose blind, they call it, to your own home. And speaking of dogs, There's a product, it's a paint product called Kilz, K-I-L-Z, and it is a primer that will knock back any smell that's gotten in the walls. Like if it's tobacco or anything that's kind of a funky mildew, anything like that, it will really take care of it. So if you're gonna sell a home and you know that it has a funky smell, your flooring's gotta go. That's, you can't, you know, you gotta get, refresh the floors, but you can paint with Kilz and it will, cover up the smell. It's cool stuff.

Y'all heard it from the expert once again, giving y'all some nuggets. Get you some paint called Kills and eliminate all that extra smell that's in your house if you want to sell it. But if you can't sell it, call my girl up in Florida. She may be able to help you out on a few things. Hey, so let me ask you, Mario, I only got a couple more questions, then I got a quick fire round. Gonna ask you 5 questions. A new little game that I've been playing on the CJ Moneyway Show, and you're gonna answer with the first thing that comes to your mind. I've been telling people at the end of the show now because I had a couple people been cheating on me the last couple times. I let them know at the beginning, and so they was totally focused and waiting on me to ask.

I am— you're hitting me like an ice pack.

Yeah, that's how I like it. People get nervous like, oh, oh, what is it going to be? It's going to be fun. But let me ask you before we go there, legacy and belongings. How do our belongings reflect our legacy, and how can we make intentional choices now to leave something meaningful for those we love?

I love that question, too. And that's the focus of What to Do with Everything You Own to Leave the Legacy You Want. And, you know, I wasn't thinking about this. A publisher asked me to write it, but I didn't want to think about the fact that I wasn't going to be here for a lot longer than I am going to be here, right? But thinking about everything you own, and, and just, just to simplify, the money's the easy part. It's the stuff that's not so easy. So if you got it liquidated into money, let's just imagine you put everything you own— the cars, the books, the jewelry, the clothes, you name it, the spatulas into a big funnel, and it comes out as money. That's not enough. You want to turn the money into meaning. And think about most people, and there's nothing wrong with it, leave a lot to their— whatever they have to their kids or grandkids. But maybe 5 or 10% can make a difference into perpetuity. So think about maybe your, your school that got you set up to get the career you want, or the community that gave you a leg up when you really needed it. Or a piano teacher that changed your life, and you can start helping other students of piano, or the theater, or the church, or whatever it is that, that you feel you want to help. Animal rescue, saving whales, you name it. And, and just make sure you set that money aside in a, in your will, in a, in a determined place so it goes on to help that cause. So here's what I mean, and it goes into more detail in the book, but There was a woman who lived in the Ozarks. She was a teacher and she didn't have much money at all. She was a single woman, never— no children. And when she died, she left her house. It was only worth about $65,000 to the community of Ozarks, the community foundation. They took that, and she wanted it to go on as a school teacher. She wanted to go on to help kids get an education. That was her goal. They grew that money into $100,000. And that $100,000 throws off two $1,000 scholarships every year by the way they manage it. So this woman, long after she's gone, is educating students in the Ozarks who don't come from any means to be able to go on to college. She's helping them forever. So you don't have to have a lot, but you have to, have to set it up so that the dominoes fall in the right direction. And it just takes a little bit of intention.. And you can leave a lifetime of meaning, which is— to me, gives me goosebumps. I just think it's really important. Otherwise, it's over and one and done. The kids spend the money, everything's gone, they forgot all about you. But you can leave a legacy that keeps on giving with not a lot of money behind it, or maybe a lot if you're lucky. So that's the big thought there.

I like that. I like that. Now, when you say the Ozark? Are you talking about the same Ozark that Jason Bateman did it— uh, the TV show here?

Don't give me— I don't know him!

No, no, no, no, no, no! It was a TV show! It's a TV show with Jason Bacon, okay? And they— and they did TV shows called The Ozarks, and it was pretty good. It was a pretty good shot.

Oh yeah, well, isn't it southern Missouri right now? So yes, so this ain't nothing new to us because Right, we're from there too. Yeah, but what part of Southern Mississippi though? What town or city do y'all live at? Um, um, Little Rock area over on 63rd Street West side, which used to be Southside Road back then when my dad lived up north by Memphis.

Okay. yeah, yeah, something like St. Louis. Yeah, something like that. Yeah, yeah, it was a pretty good show. And I can also watch it, and I can tell that the dog that was by you now was bigger than the other little dog that was barking.

I got two. I got a big one and a little one, so you probably—

yeah, yeah, I heard the big one. I heard the little one earlier say, erp. And then I heard that one say— so I, I could tell right then and there that there was a difference between the two dogs. Little dog, baby dog. You got Spike and Lil Spike. So are you ready for the—

oh, I can tell—

quick fire round? All right, question number 1: one item in your home you will never let go of.

My wedding ring.

I thought you were going to say your mother's pearls, but okay, your wedding ring.

And the painting. I talked about that painting, which is pretty important.

See, there you go with that negotiation again.

No, I just think my stomach would just sink, you know, if I— if I—

yeah, now you got That's where you got to go back and say 5 things. Okay, we go back to that 5 things again. You take your 5 and I take my 5. I just can't let go of just one.

Probably also my dog, my— the little dog, not the big dog, but the little dog.

You let go of Spike? Oh man, Spike, Spike finna really be— uh, so your go-to mantra for clarity?

Proceed as way opens. Which to me means if the door is open, go. If you're pounding against it, don't. And that has served me very well in life. When I'm stuck and the door just keeps opening, I just keep going through. And you know what? It's meant to be. And sometimes I'm pounding my head against the wall, a door that won't open, and I want it to open, and I have to just listen.

That's a good one. Got something on that one. But favorite room in a home to transform? Your favorite room in a home to transform?

My patio. I have a covered patio that's covered— it's surrounded on 3 sides by our house. It's like a little alcove, and it's got a ceiling and a fan, but view of the garden. I can hear our little water fountain. I can— the dogs can run around the backyard. I see the birds, and I love to sit there.

So, Marty, are you telling us that that is your she-shed?

My she-shed?

You got a she patio?

Yeah, I'm in my she-shed. My office is my she-shed.

Okay, so let me ask you, the most powerful thing you have let go of My parents' home, my parents' home that I—

they lived in for 50 years. And after France, it was the only house I knew. And I mean, there wasn't a window in it I didn't climb through. And the yard, you know, all the kids played baseball in it. And it wasn't even a— it wasn't even a structure. It was a living thing that I never imagined life without. And to see them move out into assisted living and to sell that house was heartbreaking.

I think my mother is going through something like that now. My father passed away, it'd be almost— it would be 10 years in November, and she just don't— we, we moved in that house in 1979, you know, and she just won't, won't let it go, you know, because like you said, the memories and the things of that nature. So I'm not looking forward to a day like that myself. So, and that's something she just told us we need to talk about, me, her, my brother. So Those are times you don't really want to, you know, saying get to or whatever, but at some point in time all of us got to go that route and make that decision to do something, you know what I'm saying?

And I think it's harder when it's your parents. I mean, I can let go of my own homes a little easier, but this was their home and I love them and I want to honor them and be good stewards of their, their lives. And yet I don't need two houses. And so anyway, it was especially hard Um, but I did it with their, with their blessing, and they, you know, the money went to help their long-term care and all that, so it was all good. But it was very hard to say goodbye.

Yeah, and I, and I believe you because even with my grandmother's house, I think my cousin still stays in my grandmother's house. So we— that house been there forever. That's been— I can't even— with some stories, boy. And it was the, the house where everybody would come over and we have Thanksgiving, Christmas, everybody in the neighborhood would come over. And so that house still stands there, and that probably was in, who, the 1950s, 1960s? We talking a long time ago. And so I know what you said, people can't let go because that house has been in our family for generations. So, Marnie, not new. Marnie, I thank you for your humor, wisdom, and your loving heart, and plus your, your, your, your willingness to compromise with your, with your better half. You're showing us that letting go isn't about loss, it's about making space for life. To everyone listening, what do you need to release to step into your next chapter? Whether it's stuff, stories, or stuck energy, your future is waiting. Grab Marnie's book, Down Right Size Today to Create Your Best Life Tomorrow, and check her out at her full library. Give us all your social media accounts and your website where we can get your book from.

Marnie, you can find me at my website, marniejameson.com. M-A-R-N-I-J-A-M-E-S-O-N.com. I have a blog you can sign up for free and you just send it, put in your name. And I occasionally, once or twice every other week, I send out some— I'll probably send out this podcast and let you keep in touch with some of the things I think about. Books are available wherever books are sold.

Okay, Marty, so when we get off and you get a chance, send me all those links so I can put them in the show notes so people can go out there and go get your book. Right Size Today to Create Your Best Life Tomorrow. And get on her mailing list so you can get her personal newsletter emails, and you might get a chance to check out Marty on the CJ Moneyway Show. And don't forget G Outta State's Capital, our animated series that explores transformation and identity in bold new ways, coming soon. Follow me at CJ Moneyway and subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcast show. Hey, this your boy CJ Moneyway, hey, with the expert Marty Jameson. Hey, we out of here. Peace.

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