20 Days, 3 Ways, __ Bags: Sentimental Items

Your sentimental items.

They bring back memories. You cherish them. You have a hard time letting them go because of what they remind you of. They are more than just a possession – they hold so much more than that. They aren’t just “stuff”. They may be the only thing you have left.

Sentimental items are hard to describe, aren’t they? No one else understands the depth and meaning behind that one item. What we have to realize though, is how many items are we holding on to?

Why do we hold onto those items so tightly? I think we hold onto them so that we can remember. Remember who that person is. Remember all the good times with that person or thing. In reality, the reason we are hanging onto it, is for US. Strictly for ourselves. We may be hanging onto something because that person would be so upset if we got rid of it. You may be right – they may roll over in their grave if they knew you had gotten rid of something. The thing is (and sometimes the truth hurts): what purpose is that certain item serving? If it is purely to satisfy the person who has since passed, it is not worth it.

If you are hanging onto an item because it MEANS something to you, that is a different story.
I am talking about those items we hang onto because of guilt. Guilt we would feel if we got rid of it.

Here are some things to think about:

• Why is the item special? Was it only special to the person who passed it on?
• Does this item just sit in a box? Will it remain in a box the rest of your life?
• Is it valuable to someone else, other than you?
• Do you plan on passing it on?
• What if you tried to sell it? Is it worth something?

I know, I probably have some people getting pretty upset. Remember, I do not know what you are hanging onto and what you feel you must keep. That is solely up to you. What I am hitting on are the things we hang on to, for no good reason.

Pictures do wonders. Often we keep an item to remember – to talk about the memories. Pictures though, do a much better job. What if you took a picture of the item you are keeping, and then get rid of the item? I know, it sounds harsh. But will someone else find more value in it, than you do currently? Just have a reason as to WHY you are keeping an item.

I have sentimental items – I have them in ONE box. There are some things that are sitting out for others to see. There are some things that I have kept from my childhood. I decided that having ONE box for all of my sentimental items, was enough for me. I’ll be honest, it’s a pretty random box, but I enjoy going through it. I have a reason for everything in it. For you, this may look different. This is just an example from my personal life.

Think about why you keep the things you do. Letting go of some things, may be very freeing to you – especially if there is a negative emotion tied to that item. Make sure you check with family members before you get rid of a family heirloom. The last thing you want is to cause a family to be upset with you. Start the process though, of going through all of your sentimental items!

What is one thing that you can never get rid of? What do you have a hard time letting go of?