Welcome back to Day 21 of Freedom from Clutter in 40 Days. If you are tired of the burden of clutter in your home then this series is for you. Day by day we are getting rid of the items that weigh us down, slow us down, and get in the way of having time to spend with our families.
We invite you to join our special Facebook group to share your ideas, joys, concerns, and declutter stories with us. Make sure to share this with a friend who wants help decluttering. Together, we are learning to find Freedom from Clutter. This is a focused 40 day program, but we plan to keep the group going all year long. You can join us at any time. What is really fun about this project is that we are sharing our real struggles with clutter. There are no organization experts here. We are just real people sharing our real life experiences including our frustrations and joy as we declutter our homes.
Decluttering Sentimental Items
Let me start with this very important point. I am a very sentimental person. Family is everything to me so decluttering my loved ones stuff from my home is not easy. I not only live in the present, but I also live in the joy of my memories. I think that is why I like scrapbooking so much. It’s a great way to hold on to those memories for a good long time. I know it’s not just me. Just look at how popular it is to share past Facebook memories. Memories are a celebration of a great life.
Today, I’ve decided to talk about decluttering sentimental items from family members who are no longer with us. Not an easy subject for sure. There may just be a few tears shed as I write this. Bottom line for me. People matter. Stuff doesn’t. I try to make sure that my loved ones know that I love them so that when they are no longer with us, I don’t have any regrets. It helps.
A home can quickly become overwhelmed with stuff when a loved one passes away. You had a full house before. You have a fuller house now. It is easy to feel obligated to hold onto items when they come from a deceased relative. Whether or not we like or need these items doesn’t really seem to matter. We hold onto these items because we feel we must. This can cause unnecessary stress and unhappiness when we don’t know what to do with these items. We don’t really want the item, but feel forced to hold on to them anyway. There may even be some guilt when we think of letting these items go. It may be the time to let these items go. Remember your happiness is important and a cluttered home is not bringing you joy. In situations like these, you can find someone else who will find these items useful and be a blessing to them.
What I have decided to do is to hold on to a few items that really do bring me joy. I choose to hold on to one or two items that I really love. Boxes and boxes of my loved ones belongings in storage don’t bring me joy. How can they? They are in boxes in the attic. I have found that a few items placed out where I can see them brings me so much more joy than boxes in the attic. I think it’s a better way to honor their memory.
I have memories sprinkled all through my house rather than cluttering my attic. It feels good to see these things on a daily basis. Really think about which items are the best reminders of your loved ones and keep those items. The rest can be donated to other families and they can create their own memories. I hope this makes sense to you and is a help to you. Leave me a comment and let me know how you handle sentimental items. What things do you find the hardest to let go? What creative ways have you found to display sentimental items?
On another note……..if you are interested in simple recipes your family is sure to love make sure you check out my recipe index. I am adding new recipes all of the time so make sure you check back often. You will also want to grab this free meal-planning printable calendar to make your meal planning easier. It has areas to plan your daily activities and your evening meal prep.
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This post definitely hits close to home Christina. I just lost my dad a couple months ago. I live in a multigenerational home with my children and my Mom. The house seems empty with him gone. We did begin to go through his things though. Mostly clothes. He had a lot of clothes so it only made sense to empty some out to make more room for my mom’s clothes. Everyone…mom,my sister, brother, both of my kids and I all took something to save. I took a big comfy fleece shirt so when I wear it it’s warm and comforting. Most of the rest of the clothes went to one of his brother’s who was the same size. Then the rest were donated. It will take some time but you are correct we don’t need a bunch of boxes filled with stuff to remember our loved ones. Just save a few special things.
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I’m sure decluttering is extra hard while you are still mourning. Protect your heart and work on it when you feel ready. I don’t think you need to rush through the process. I’ve never met your father, but I bet he wouldn’t want you to be burdened with your clutter. Maybe that thought will help.
One of the things I do is to take photos of things that are sentimental. I too keep a couple of the items, take photos of the rest and give or donate them. As a scrapbooker I know the power of photos. Photos of those items can bring back the same emotions as the item. With digital storage, it doesn’t take up physical room, but can be found if needed. Let’s face it, they rarely are, but you have comfort knowing you can.
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My dad passed 10 years ago but I didn’t take a lot of physical items because I live across the country from my parents. I cherish the letters he wrote to me in the past and still keep those – and of course some special photos. You make some great points about keeping a few significant items versus just storing boxes where they can’t be seen. Thanks for sharing Christina!
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Such great advice! I am attached to old clothes believe it or not. I keep 2 and only 2 plastic bins that hold special clothes. I still have the outfit Michael bought me in college…and the dress he bought me our first Christmas we were married.
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