Guest Author - Emily Wilska
Many of us tend to gather things that bring back fond memories of family, friends, and events: sports trophies from our school days, knicknacks picked up from places we've traveled to, items given to us by the people we love.
Keeping meaningful things around is not, in and of itself, a problem. The challenge comes in managing these things once they've accumulated for many years, and in deciding which ones are really worth keeping long term.
I try to keep my memorabilia in check by sorting through it on a regular basis (every year or so), purging the things I know I don't need to keep (such as unremarkable stuffed toys from childhood), and finding creative ways of paring down the rest of the stuff.
For example, though I want to be reminded of winning competitions with my cheerleading squad in junior high school, I don't need to keep the trophies I earned; instead, I can gather them together, take a few photos, and then get rid of the trophies themselves. That way I can keep the memories--and can even paste them in a scrapbook with other memorabilia--without building up clutter.
Sentimental items that are in good condition and might be useful to others are prime candidates for donation to worthy groups and organizations. If, for example, you’re keeping kitchen accessories you don’t use because they were given to you as wedding or birthday gifts, consider passing them along to a group that can use them, and include a note stating that you’re making the donation in honor of the person who originally gave the gifts to you. That way you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing both that your stuff is being put to good use and that you’ve had the chance to thank the gift giver in a new and different way.
There’s no need to go overboard and get rid of all the sentimental items in your house. I won't get rid of anything I know I'll regret giving up--scarves from my grandmother, for example, or my great-grandfather's collection of old postcards--and I encourage my clients to keep things that truly have value to them. Weeding out the things that aren't as important, however, can help make those special items even more precious, and can help keep you from being overwhelmed by stuff.
