"Emotional Spring Cleaning": Do You Keep Sentimental Objects Forever?

[Helena D'Orville 33237]

I was doing some Spring cleaning at home and was really bothered by four boxes, only filled with objects from the past, accumulated through years since my childhood, having sentimental value "only"... But they always remain in the boxes! Just four boxes taking quite some room for "nothing", really, is that necessary? So I am trying to get rid of them, but it is hard. I think that these should stay in my memories, that there is no need to keep them. But my emotional brain is fighting against it!

 

What about you? Do you keep things with sentimental value? Or are you properly trained to get rid of them once they have "expired"?

[Midnite-Energies 110563]

I read a great piece awhile back about the cost of hanging onto "stuff". Everything has an energy, even stuff we collect and accumulate . What this means is everything we keep carries something with it. Sometimes it's not profound when the energy is positive but when the energy or situation surrounding the item was negative, it can be very bad for us without us even knowing it. Examples are those people who like antiques but may purchase a piece and then wherever that piece is, when they walk into the room they feel upset or angry or fearful. This has definitely made me think about what I keep and what I don't.

 

I try to only keep things that are highly meaningful and not multiples of the same thing. My mother keeps a scrapbook for signatures and little notes and such and that keeps clutter refined but still retains mementos.

 

The biggest challenge is being honest with ourselves about what we "REALLY" need, what is "REALLY" important and what isn't. This of course will change as we grow and evolve. I have been amazed and how much better I feel after purging and cleaning.

 

This also reminds me I have some cleaning of my own to do.

[Phaedrus 209521]

I have a box specifically for stuff like this. I don't plan on ever throwing it out. Good memories don't have a best-before date on them. They'll never expire.

 

Now, if I could just get rid of the boxes of meaningless junk that I haven't even unpacked since I last moved...

[waterat 20911]

Thinking of emotional spring cleaning here are Prine and Goodman dueting on Souvenirs:

 

[Ice4fun 78407]

I kinda feel it's fine to keep sentimental objects if you have the space for them... they may not actually get your attention all that often but they have an amazing power to transport you to other times that contain powerful memories for you.

 

I have learned in the last few years that things that were simple silly sentimental trinkets can become the lasting connection that you can have with people who are no longer in your life... I have things from my daughter that just the very sight of can help me get through the day.

 

So hey if you want them keep them.

[HarleyQ 972]

Stuff like that is good to hold on to even if you don't use or look at them everyday. Its nostalgia and some day you'll want to see that stuff and reminisce. That kind of stuff is also good for further generations to see. Maybe find it another spot for it or put in storage.