Possessions Moving Syndrome

I understand from talking with my brothers' wives that my family has a bad case of Possessions Moving Syndrome (PMS).  I thought it was pretty normal to be suddenly seized by a wild desire to move things around a bit.  Before you know it, we're jumping up and hauling furniture around: the couch against that wall, try the piano over here, and does the end table fit in this corner?  I remember sitting with my brothers late at night when PMS struck, and we were rearranging the living room until 2 am.  I thought nothing of it.

It wasn't until I moved out and married that I started to realize that other people might not be as anxious to embrace a fresh change.  I don't know how many times my dear husband reached for a glass to get a drink of water, only to turn around with that "I can't believe you rearranged the cupboards again" face.  The utensils were not immune, either.

There are different severities of PMS, of course.  For some, it only involves furniture.  A bad case can spread to other household possessions, including kitchen cupboards, bathroom storage, coat closets, sock drawers, and refrigerator contents.  I haven't heard of yard plants being infected with PMS, but I suppose it is clinically possible.  We once suffered an outbreak so severe that, over the course of two years, we were forced to move all our possessions over a thousand miles and back.  Thankfully, we are in remission from that strain now.

I think PMS helps us get a fresh perspective.  It's cheaper than new furniture, easier than moving to a new house, and quicker than knocking out walls (which I also struggle with).  I'm always looking for something that works just a bit better.  For example, I recently changed the furniture in my family room to make it easier to block the babies out of the kitchen.  How easy and functional is that?  When we had family members who struggled with balance, I moved the furniture to make the walkways straighter and shorter.  Other good reasons to move furniture are to take advantage of a lovely view, move seating away from a cold window in the winter, or place more chairs at the table.  Or just PMS for fun.

On behalf of my family, I apologize for any discomfort our PMS has caused.  Trent just shakes his head and smiles at me, but I think he really likes it.  It's not that strange, is it?