Sentimental items: How to cherish the memory, not the object.
Sentimental objects carry the weight of cherished memories, reminding us of treasured moments and the people we hold dear. However, it's crucial to recognize that while these items have emotional significance, they are not the memories themselves.
My passion lies in helping you declutter your life and rediscover the beauty of living in the moment with fewer possessions.
How many of my millennial friends received a box from their parents containing all their childhood mementos? Old report cards, school projects, photographs, yearbooks, highschool sports jerseys… I am grateful that my mother took the time to lovingly collect these artifacts from my childhood. By saving these, it demonstrated her love for me and her appreciation for my talents and growth over the years. While sifting through these items, however, I found that only a select few sparked a memory for me, let alone still brought me joy by their existence.
Mementos can hold a special place in our hearts. While some people are incapable of throwing away any of their children’s projects, others are avid collectors of souvenirs from their travels or hang onto bits and pieces that remind them of an activity or event. While organizing clients' homes, I have come across baby teeth, bottle caps, locks of hair, items made of pet fur, rusty nails, receipts, and more, all which have been intentionally saved for one reason or another.
These sentimental objects carry the weight of cherished memories, reminding us of treasured moments and the people we hold dear. However, it's crucial to recognize that while these items have emotional significance, they are not the memories themselves. Often we find ourselves keeping things because we feel like we should or we feel guilty for getting rid of them. Or simply because we don’t realize that we no longer carry an emotional attachment to that item.
Inspired by the wisdom of organizing guru Marie Kondo, who encourages us to embrace items that truly bring us joy, this post will guide you through the process of realizing which sentimental items are truly worth saving, and what the next steps are for honoring that item and the memory it carries.
Marie Kondo's approach encourages us to cherish and honor the memories and emotions tied to sentimental items while learning to let go of the ones that no longer serve a purpose in our lives. Following this advice, we can create a space that fosters joy and contentment while still holding onto the memories that matter most.
Take it one step at a time: Begin your decluttering process with less emotionally charged items, such as clothing or kitchen wares. As you gain confidence in your decision-making, move on to more sentimental objects.
Use Discernment: Be selective in what you choose to keep. Not every trinket or piece of memorabilia needs to be preserved. Focus on the items that truly hold the most significant meaning for you. How do you know the difference? Read on…
Focus on the Purpose: Ask yourself if the sentimental item aligns with your current lifestyle and goals. Does it serve a practical purpose, or does it simply gather dust in storage? Consider whether the item adds value to your life in the present moment.
Acknowledge the Emotional Ties: Recognize the emotions tied to each sentimental item. Take a moment to hold the object in your hands, reminisce about the memories it holds, and acknowledge the feelings it evokes. How would you feel if it broke or got lost? This process helps you understand why the item is meaningful to you.
Gratitude and Closure: Thank the sentimental item for the joy and memories it brought into your life. Acknowledge that its purpose has been fulfilled, and it's now time to let it go and pass it on to someone else who may find joy in it.
Once you have identified the items that truly bring you joy, you must decide how they will exist in your life in a way that honors the memories they evoke and supports your current lifestyle.
Use it.
“I want you to have this precious china dinnerware so that it can sit on your highest kitchen shelf, forgotten, gathering dust and never get used.” Said no one ever.
Items were made to be used. Too often we save things for a special occasion. As Thomas Monson said “Every day of your life is a special occasion.” One of my favorite mementos from my grandmother is an old ceramic mixing bowl. I use it for popcorn. She loved popcorn, and everytime I use the bowl, I think of her fondly. I have a hand knit wool sweater that my grandfather got on a visit to Ireland. He was a hibernophile (a person who is fond of Irish culture, Irish language and Ireland in general). It is old and fragile, but the perfect way to cozy up on a chilly Minnesota winter night. It’s possible that I will spill on it or snag it when I wear it, however keeping it in a drawer only limits the opportunities to remember him.
Perhaps the dinnerware isn’t your style, or the antique sweater doesn’t fit. There are no rules about how a sentimental item can be used. An antique candy jar can hold spare change, or hair ties. Your aunt's picnic basket can display books or magazines. I recently had a client with a collection of her grandfather's neckties which she was going to have made into a teddy bear for her son. A friend of mine had her grandmother's jewelry disassembled and turned into earrings that were more her style. Pinterest is full of ideas and Etsy is a magnificent resource for finding artisans and craftspeople who can recreate and repurpose your keepsakes.
Display it.
Some items cannot practically be used. You can still honor your memories and traditions by displaying your keepsakes throughout your home. Frame a recipe card, handkerchief, or newspaper clipping. Create a shadow box with seashells and driftwood twigs. Fill a mason jar with ticket stubs from your favorite concerts. I love to turn small objects into Christmas tree ornaments. It ensures at least once a year I will have an opportunity to relish in the memory that items holds.
For more ideas to display mementos, follow me on Pinterest @JuniperOrganizing.
Store it.
I will not pretend for a moment that I do not have keepsakes tucked away in a bin in my basement or closet. My wedding dress, for example, holds extreme sentimental value, but I cannot practically use it (or fit in it, sadly) and I am not ready to disassemble it and turn it into decor. So it hangs in my guest room closet, waiting.
Sometimes it’s unavoidable and we store our memories. That’s ok. If it continues to bring you joy, you SHOULD keep it. And don’t ever let a professional organizer tell you otherwise. But If it’s important enough to keep, it is important enough to keep organized!
Back to my childhood memory box: included was a shoebox of photos. We are lucky to live in a digital age that timestamps photos and makes them easier to organize. But my photo box from the 1990s-early 2000s was a hodgepodge of highschool photos, family vacations, and baby pictures, making it frustrating and confusing to sift through each one.
If you choose to keep originals of your childrens’ projects and artwork, store them in a file box with the date. If you have a box from your own childhood, note the contents on the outside of the box so it doesn’t get forgotten
Nothing in your home is static. Make a point to open the box once in a while and sift through the content. Relish in the memories that you still hold dear, and be honest with yourself if there are items that no longer serve you, and you’re ready to let go.
Celebrate the Present!
Sentimental keepsakes can be a rabbit hole of emotion for many of us. It can feel overwhelming to face a lifetime of memories and reminders of the past. Remember that the goal of decluttering sentimental items is not to erase the past but to make space for the present and future. By letting go of excess sentimental clutter, you can focus on the moments happening in the here and now.
If you’re not ready to start this alone, I am here for you. Contact me today to start making room for the moments that matter.