Valentine’s Day and Memorabilia
With Valentine’s Day coming soon it made me think about all the stuff we save over the years given to us by the ones we love, and the things we save related to the ones we love. The holiday provides a great opportunity to discuss the topic of memorabilia and momentos.
Background
Our memorabilia… What is it? Why do we save it? How do we help our clients manage it?
This is a huge topic in the organizing industry because, as you can imagine, it applies to most people.
Our homes are little time capsules. The years race by and for most of us we try to hold on and slow it down by saving items from our past…little mementos (that serve no actual purpose). They take up space in our drawers and closets. Every once in awhile we might take a moment to look through them perhaps when looking for something else that we can’t find. We pause to dig through a collection of tchotchkes. We go down memory lane. Can you relate?
Editing memorabilia and mementos can feel overwhelming. How do you decide what to keep and what to let go? It’s not easy and it takes practice.
Practice Makes Perfect
Recently, my husband pulled out a “treasure box” that he’s had for years – since before I met him I think. He’s added things over the years but this weekend, unprompted, he took it out for a major purge. I asked why he’s doing it now and he said he’s trying to get comfortable letting go of these things from his past that have no purpose.
Mic drop. My job here is done. Just because he’s married to an organizer doesn’t mean we spend our weekends organizing (well, maybe a little). Editing memorabilia and mementos has never been his favorite activity, but he’s right. Letting go is hard. We need to practice. It’s as simple as that.
Letting Go
Baby steps lead to bigger steps, but practice makes it much easier when it’s time to really let go. Without practice, chances are you’ll be too overwhelmed to appreciate the process, and either toss it all or save it all. This approach isn’t good, especially if you are making a life transition where having some memories will help smooth the transition and make your new house a home.
When working with our clients we start with the easy spaces and least sentimental items first and work up to more challenging items. We listen to the stories and help them determine if the item is a keeper. Is it something you can use and appreciate or does it stay hidden in a treasure box? Is there a way it can be better appreciated?
Tackle it by Category
Most people have multiple categories: high school and college, life before spouse, life before kids, memorabilia related to their kids (this is a big one!), stuff passed down from parents and grandparents, work memorabilia, travel and vacation…there are so many aspects of our rich and complicated lives…editing memorabilia and mementos down into one long love story can be hard. Tackling it in segments can be easier and less overwhelming.
Purpose
Of course, part of the process is asking “Why am I keeping it? Who am I keeping it for? What am I going to do with it?” We see lots of kids artwork and schoolwork, baby clothes, bedding, etc. It’s hard to let this meaningful time in your life go. I know all too well. Feels like yesterday bringing my baby girl home from New York Hospital and now I’m driving her to her off campus apartment (check out my last blog post for that story).
We encourage our clients to be selective in what they save but I know it’s hard. My mother was sentimental but she was also practical and very organized. She saved a bin for each of us 4 kids filled with papers and photos from our childhood. What surprised me was the things she selected to save – yes, graduation programs, report cards but also notes and letters I wrote. I loved reading the few she kept that she found interesting or funny. One note I wrote was asking her to do me a favor and involved a friend of mine. I didn’t recall any of it, so I messaged this friend and shared it with him. We laughed, updated each other, and connected. Maybe that’s why my mom saved the note? So that some day I could reach out to this friend who was a big part of my high school years and reconnect. Did I mention how smart my mother was?
Conclusion
It’s ok to save memorabilia but maybe consider editing as you add so you practice letting go, keep only the most special items, and think about why they are meaningful and who will appreciate it later.
Valentine’s Day is when we are expected to take a break out of our busy lives and show how much we love our special someone. Skip the Hallmark card and chocolate and maybe sit down and share those little bits of personal history with them that you’re saving, savoring the stories behind the treasures. Showing our love is honoring our relationships, and when someone special is gone, opening our Treasure Box is a meaningful way to honor that person. Having only the most special moments saved in that box makes it a true expression of love.
Does it feel intrusive to bring in an organizing crew to help you with these personal items? We are real people with real families and we completely understand and empathize with your relationships and your journey. We’re not like the TV shows who waltz in dramatically and announce that all of it has to go. We would be honored to help you sort through your memorabilia with respect. Give us a call today!