Finding Long Lost Treasure

One of my favorite things to hear a client say during a session as a professional organizer is “Oh my god! I’ve been looking for that for ages!” It is so satisfying and exciting to help someone reconnect with a long lost treasure that they never thought they’d see again. The funny part is that the things people are so thrilled about finding usually seem super trivial like a screw for a remote or a favorite rogue sock. But sometimes the treasure is absolutely life changing!

I was on a 4 day remote job helping move a client's mother into assisted living. We were moving 90 years of accumulated stuff out of a 2 bedroom condo and were pretty exhausted by the final day. We had pulled all of her favorite things to furnish her new space and had donated a giant box truck full of everything else. The last thing to go was her couch, which hadn’t moved in years. Once it was gone I swept up a big pile of dust bunnies and random bits and bobs that always seem to get caught under couches when something glinting caught my eye. I reached down and found … teeth??

I jumped as there was a surprise shriek of utter delight coming out of my client as she exclaimed my favorite words “We’ve been looking for that for ages!!” Apparently this full bridge dental piece had been missing for months and they had searched every pocket in every purse or jacket, every doctor's office and every nook and cranny in their cars to no avail. Grandma had been going without her teeth for months because they cost $5000 to replace! We guessed that the dog had stolen them off her side table and hidden them under the couch with all her half eaten treats and chewed up tennis balls.

So the next time I get asked “what’s the weirdest thing you've ever found organizing for someone?” I’m going to say Grandma’s priceless teeth!

You never know what you're going to find when you start de-cluttering and organizing your life. If you need help excavating, hit me up - I love a good treasure hunt!