Boxes upon boxes line the spare room. Stacked floor to ceiling in a higgledy piggledy fashion.
Crammed with possessions, untouched but not unloved. Old exercise books, artwork and essays, Grandma’s ornaments, old photographs, clothes and out grown toys. Thirty five years archived.
Decades passed, time stood still, every nook and cranny almost filled. Yet more we hoarded. So many things. Held on to out of sentimentality, attempting to hold on to memories, afraid to lose fragments of an ever distant past. Belongings that make us feel like we belong somewhere. Anywhere. Here?
But the spare room is no longer spare. There is a Little Girl almost ready for her own space, filled with her own pretty things. A bright open space with room to grow and play.
Decisions must be made. But what to do? Unwilling to throw away remnants of the past but needing to move forward into our future, how can I choose which memories to throw away? The decisions are too raw and too hard to make.
Yet decide I must. If only I had a spare room….
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Why not photograph yourself and kids with the stuff so you have a keepsake that doesn’t take up room.
Look at it this way-holding onto things oyu don’t use and don’t have room for is not a blessing. Giving it to someone who can use it is a blessing and when you give , in return what you need always ends up coming to you as well.
Susie recently posted..Try To Live In The Moment
There are plenty of things I’ll giveaway. Lots of baby stuff. I just need someone to pop out a sprog so I can get on with it.
xx
Ah – we are going through that just now as well. I am doing the Anthea Turner thing: it has to be useful, beautiful or SERIOUSLY sentimental. I also like that she takes pictures of things that are really no use, but you’re attached to somehow – then you have the picture, but you get your space back. I have got rid of all my school stuff and all old stuff except for photographs and a couple of books. No use living in the past – onwards and upwards!
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Gonna have to Google the Anthea thing. It seems the woman is on to something.
Failing that, a lottery win and a house with umpteen spare rooms wold be just the ticket!
The picture thing is a great idea and I go with the Anthea Turner thing as well. We are going to have to do this in the next few weeks as Baba’s birthday and christmas we need to declutter. Good luck xx
Recently I had a clear out. I have been doing the Anthea thing, it’s very cathartic.
But, there are certain things that you just can’t get rid of, no matter how ugly and non useful. … Hugely sentimental things that are a link to the past in which another person lived.
It drives my husband mad.
I’m definitely sentimental in my hoarding. There are somethings that I’ll never really get out of boxes, but because they belonged to someone I loved I’ll never be able to let go.
There is also a whole shed load of random crap. I hoard therefore I am.
x
Ah, that’s a tough one. I hoard, so I feel for you. Do’t do what I do, which is periodically think I MUST clear out, and end up throwing away something I really regret later.
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That’s what I don’t want to end up doing. I just can’t bring myself to let go!
G’ah!
x
I decided to do the Anthea Turner thing, told my wife, took a photo of her, laughed. She punched me in the eye, took a photo of me, laughed. Damn you Anthea.
@goonerjamie recently posted..Ten rules for an Urban London Househusband
*Snort*
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