I come from a line of pack rats on my mother’s side. My mother used to joke about my Granny keeping all sorts of things for years that she never used. When I became a young adult, I kidded my mom about doing the same thing. Now that I have a few years on me with a husband and two children, I find myself having the same tendencies. However, I am determined to keep only what I absolutely can’t let go. There are two main reasons why we keep things: emotional attachment and monetary attachment. Let’s talk about the emotional issues.
*It’s been in the family for years. No-one should be made to feel guilty for keeping a family heirloom. Some things are priceless, even if it is only priceless to you. The problem comes when you have a whole storage room filled with items that were once your loved one’s and you just don’t have the heart to get rid of them. My mom has kept my Granny’s clothes, dishes, old books and many other things in a storage house ever since she passed away, nearly 8 years ago. Just last year, she decided she needed to let some of it go. It may be difficult, but if you are just keeping the items out of guilt, give yourself a break. Give the usable things to people who need them. I am sure that my Granny would be happy to know that someone was getting use out of her clothes and dishes rather than them simply collecting dust.
*It was a gift. Okay, here comes the guilt again. We feel guilty for not keeping everything that has been given to us. Truly, we should be thankful. Some gifts nevertheless end up in a closet or cabinet and are never used. We simply cannot display every figurine or use every coffee cup that has been given to us. It is okay to give it away if you are not using it. Honestly, if you haven’t taken it out in years, you probably are not going to use it.
*It has sentimental value. I am very sentimental. I have things stored in my attic that I made or achieved as a child. My children are still very young, but I already have a hope chest filled with sweet memories like hospital bracelets and ultrasound pictures, first Christmas and Easter outfits, crocheted baby blankets, first birthday souvenirs and other “firsts.” You know what? That’s alright too. Those things are priceless to me. We just have to ask ourselves if we are keeping things because they truly do have sentimental value or does it make us feel guilty to think about getting rid of them? We really don’t have to keep every single school project we ever did. Reevaluate the things you have stored away and see if it is something you can part with.
Our emotions play a big part in the things we decide to keep. It’s just a part of who we are. There’s no shame in that. There doesn’t need to be guilt either. Don’t keep something just because you feel guilty. Let it go, the guilt and the stuff.
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