is for keepsake
Decluttering is a hot topic these days.
There are TV shows, books, and blogs about it.
Clutter can be a problem but not all things are clutter.
By definition, clutter is a disorderly heap, litter, a state of confusion.
Your home may be in disorder or messy with things.
That doesn’t mean you must get rid of all your stuff.
There may not be great monetary value in your things.
But the memories attached to them can be priceless.
It is important to understand why you keep things.
There are good reasons to keep some things;
those with a family history, things given to you by those you love,
awards and items to remember or commemorate an event.
Sometimes things kept are useful or a comfort to you.
Sometimes they simply make you smile when you see them.
The key is knowing the difference between just stuff and keepsakes.
There are things we use in daily life.
There are documents that must be retained.
There are things that speak to the heart that need to be saved.
Be someone who knows the value of your keepsakes.
Patricia's Place 
Funny to read this after making a haul to the Housing Works Thrift Shop with things I felt were no longer of use. I only keep what I have a relationship with. If I look at something and feel nothing out it goes. It means to me, it’s moved on. There’s someone out who could use it more. I do have a collection of tiny trifles, he was a cheapie, a man I still love gave me including the wrappings I could never part with. At least today.
I have a box about ready to take to Goodwill. Sometimes I wonder where this stuff comes from.
It meets during the night like two lovers moving through the walls.
You are right, Patricia, there are some things that our hearts are just attached to, that have personal meaning in our lives, and we don’t need to live without them. The trick is to learn what is meaningful and what is just familiar to be around. If the pile of keepers grows too big for the living space, it also can be helpful to take photos and keep and album to look at rather than some of the items themselves.
The idea of having photos of our special things is wonderful. It would make it a bit easier to let go of keepsakes if you must.
Thank you! This is a real help. I was still keeping somethings from when my mom passed away . . .that really didn’t have emotional value for me. It was just that they were hers. I think I am okay letting some of those things go now. 🙂
I know how you feel. Sometimes we need to keep things until our hearts heal and we can see them more objectively. When you are ready to let go there will be folks somewhere who need them.
You and I are on the same wavelength with this topic. Sometimes I wonder if my keepsakes are really worth keeping, but I keep them anyway because they’re mine.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
As they (whoever they are) say one man’s treasure is another man’s trash. Keep what’s important to you!
One persons junk is another’s treasure. I get this.
Have a fabulous day. ♥
I get it, too. I have a wooden spoon that is burnt and beat up. It was my mothers. She gave it to us to chew on when we were teething then later on would swat us on the butt with it when we needed a reminder of what was not accepted in our house. Anyone else looking at it would just see an ugly spoon that needs to be tossed. Keepsakes can be weird.
Every now and then, we declutter. When we moved from a house in FL to an apartment to GA, we had to thin out a lot of stuff. We still have a lot of stuff with memories attached, which I organize in various ways. Keeping it organized is the key.
Organization is important. I have a few things I hope to never have to let go of but not many. I guess if I had to let them go or lost them I would still have the memories.
Patricia,
While we certainly have more junk than anything, we do have a few legitimate keepsakes, like some hand-made quilts and my MIL’s pearls to name just a few. I have some of my wedding stuff that falls into this category. I hope someday to have a small curio cabinet to showcase these items. Whenever…if ever we finally move from this house to another then I will closely reconsider everything we plant to move into our new place. I think that’s the only way I’m going to know what’s worth keeping and what’s not. Happy A2Zing!
Curious as a Cathy
A2Z iPad Art Sketch for K ‘Kid’
A couple of years ago I discovered a box that I hadn’t opened when I moved here over twenty years ago. At first I wondered if I should just toss it without opening since I obviously had no need of whatever was in there. I did open it and there was nothing of any importance or need so it got tossed. But it was fun to look at the junk I took time to pack and move so long ago.