“It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy.” (Charles H. Spurgeon)

This summer, my wife Jenny has been reading, and living, a wonderful book called The Life-Giving Magic of Tidying Up, by a Japanese organization master named Marie Kondo.

I know this, not because I’ve seen Jenny perusing the book’s pages; I know this because I’ve caught her poring through our closet, exiting only with bags of clothes for Goodwill. Similar episodes have occurred in the pantry, the hall bathroom closet, and the basement.

I highly recommend Ms. Kondo’s NYT No. 1 bestseller. She asks her readers to go through their homes, and examine their clutter, with one simple question: Does this item spark joy? If so, keep it and cherish it. Wear that outfit more often. Display that picture more prominently.

If anything in your home does not spark joy, let it go. Discard it, and feel the freedom from clutter.

This philosophy does not, I believe, apply to family members.