Dealing with my Sentimental Clutter

For the last couple of weeks I have been dealing with a huge amount of sentimental clutter – and I mean a huge amount!  For some reason I have no problem taking pictures of my children’s artwork and chucking it out once the excitement of their new picture/craft has run its course but when it comes to dealing with my own keepsakes and memories it’s a different story!  Why is that?  In trying to become more of a minimalist this particular section of my journey has been the hardest so far by a long shot.

We are planning an international move and I know that not everything can come.  It’s not the furniture or lamps or even some of the artwork that bothers me, it’s all the things that I am sentimental about.  Over the years I’ve gotten rid of many things I thought were sentimental only to discover later that I had no need for them but now I find that I have afgans and quilts and bedding that my Oma, Nana and Mom have made for me and they now sit in a bag in the basement, unused, gathering dust.  I have a Lane Chest in my crawl space full of memories, photos and items that just sit there.  My children have no interest in them, they don’t understand what they are or what they are for, so what do I do with it all?

I found these really great ‘clauses’ that I am going to follow for all of my sentimental clutter:

The fire clause. Ask yourself what you would want to take with you in case of a fire. This is a great way to determine what you truly value.

The function clause. Decide what in your home has a purpose — and what doesn't. Ask yourself why you are holding on to the items that don't have a specific use and decide if the space they are taking up is worth it.

The someday clause. In most cases get rid of the things you are hoping to use or wear "someday". Chances are someday will come and you won't like the thing anymore anyway.

The happiness clause. Last but not least, keep only the things that make you truly happy.

As you go through your stores of sentimentalities, make three stacks:

Stack 1: Items that can be scanned, photographed or digitized for saving

Stack 2: Items you want to display proudly on shelves or other areas in your home

Stack 3: Items you can donate or sell

It’s hard to be ruthless when it comes to memories, especially when it is a memory of a loved one past, but I’ve come to realize that my memories are in my head, my heart and that is where they will always be.  I now have a wonderful collection of memories that I can look at, a few that I can touch and a couple that I can look at and the memories are still there – they always will be.