What to Do With All Your Sentimental Shit
If you’ve lived somewhere long enough – or just prone to nostalgia – it’s easy to accumulate a staggering amount of sentimental stuff, also called clutter. You may not want to part with your ticket stubs, old meaningful letters, or the shirt you wore on your first date with your spouse. Because, hey, one day you might want to reread all those notes you took in high school, or hand over your prom dress to your daughter! (Unfortunately, he probably won’t.)
Often we don’t want to get rid of things because of the emotional meaning they carry. But if we do not get rid of sentimental things, in time our house will become a museum of old things. Here’s how to part with things , but keep the memory.
Save 1 or 2 things from the important seasons of your life
Instead of two boxes full of notebooks and memorabilia from your semester abroad, choose the one or two that matter most , or conjure up your most treasured memories. (Think of the benefit here.) You don’t have to get rid of all your child’s favorite soft toys; but keep two, not 12. If you’re cluttering up elements of an experience spanning many years, break it up into small chunks and keep one element from each time period. (For example, one subject for each year of college.)
Save them as pictures
Pictures, especially when they remain digital, take up much less space than the real thing. Even a printed photo book of your favorite newspaper clippings, expensive souvenirs, or Halloween costumes is much more practical than carrying them around every time you move and dedicating half a closet to store them when you arrive.
Repurpose them into something else
Do you know the children’s fairy tale ” Owen ” by Kevin Henckes? In it, Owen has to go to school, but he cannot part with his favorite blanket, which he takes with him everywhere. Although his parents try to steal him while he sleeps, even dousing him with vinegar to rid him of his addiction, Owen clings. Only when a wise neighbor rat named Mrs. Tweezers offers to turn him into a dozen small handkerchiefs that he can carry anywhere does Owen become healthy again.
Moral of the story? Be like Mrs. Tweezers. Turn t-shirts or baby clothes into blankets or pillowcases. Newspaper clippings and old sports jerseys (once cut off) can be framed and hung as wall decorations. Trophies can be spray-painted and used as book covers, or they can be thrown away while their nameplates are artfully framed. We recently wrote about ideas for managing tons of your child’s drawings ; for suggestions on handling jewelry, dishes and letters, see here .
Give them back
There is something reassuring about giving away things that are hard to part with instead of throwing them away. It’s not so final, and much less guilt. If you’re not quite ready to throw away your extensive collection of children’s toys or Mad magazines, why not give them to a future parent or a budding young writer in your family with a great sense of humor? When in doubt, ask yourself: can anyone else use this more than me? Take comfort that they are not going to rot in a lonely landfill and they can have a second life in a new home.