A long, long time ago while we were still in high school my sweet brother, who happens to be three years younger than me, bought me a present. Now I can’t remember why but what I do remember is how loved I felt and how touched I was that with his own money he chose to buy me this beautiful stuffed dog.
My brother and I are very close and this little stuffed dog means the world to me because it’s a little piece of him and the relationship I hold so dear. He lives on the other side of the country and I don’t get to see him very often. I miss him like crazy.
Right now I’m in the middle of packing up a house to move to another province. The big purge that I’ve done already was the easy stuff and now I find myself having to make some tough choices about items really near and dear to my heart including my beautiful stuffed doggy.
Yes I love my stuffie, just looking at it makes me so happy, but it’s the memories of the dog and who it was from that are the most special to me, not the actual dog itself. That memory I could capture just as well with a picture. So that is what I did (23 years later!) and now I can look at it all the time without it taking up any space at all. Love ya bro but your pup had to go!
Laura @ PARING DOWN says
Right on!
As I begin the slow process of culling down our things to move from a two-story home to a fifth wheel RV, I am doing much the same.
Bravo for reminding me to get on my photos sooner!
Tanna @ Complete Organizing Solutions says
Oh, how fun! I don’t think the kids would love the idea of downsizing into an RV just yet but when hubby and I retire, definitely a possibility!
Kim says
Noooooooooo! Not the bear!!!! I’m just kiddin’! That is a fabulous idea but I’m sure it was still hard. I need to do that with some of my things.
Hugs
Kim
SheilaG says
Good for you! That’s a great idea!
Years ago I had to purge our house before a move of a bunch of stuff my mother-in-law had given us. It was tough, but necessary. You can only fit so many things on the mantle, so I chose the one I liked most and got rid of the others (which I didn’t really like). I put the nice one in a prominent position, so she’d see it, and then I threw out the other knick knacks.
She’s never noticed that, but she did notice when I threw out all my husband’s baseball trophies. He played Little League for years, but he never really PLAYED. He more sat on the bench and watched. But he was on the team, so he got a trophy like everyone else. They meant nothing to him, so I tossed ’em. She was not amused.
But she got over it, and my house is far less dusty!
Sheila from To Love, Honor and Vacuum
Laura says
I totally think you did the right thing.
Susie's Homemade says
You are much stronger than I!!
Laura says
I’m not sure strong is the right word…it took me 23 years to part with it!! LOL
Rebecca says
I agree! I do the same with my son’s school work. I keep selective projects – usually stuff with hand prints and/or photos and the rest I’ll spread out and take pictures.
jen says
Wow. I consider myself a purger, but I don’t think I would have the courage for that one.
Jean says
I’m with you on this on, Jen. There are just some ‘things’ that I would have to make room for.
Laura says
It took me 23 years to get up the courage but now that the decision is made I don’t regret it at all 🙂
tina says
I have so many things from my childhood and gifts from family that I want my daughter to keep. But she doesn’t play with them. Right now they are all stuffed into a big bag and taking up space. I’ve been holding onto them for sentimental reasons as well. I love the idea of taking a picture and getting rid of the clutter. It is only material things. They can go! Memories will last forever with a picture.
thanks for sharing this:)
Organising Queen says
You are a stronger woman than I am 🙂
Susanne says
Oh you are a toughie! I don’t know if I could have done that. Mind you I’m not facing a big move either. Maybe that would motivate me as well to get really tough with the sentimental items.
DeAna says
I know that had to be difficult for you, especially since it took you 23 years to part with it! I do the same thing with my kids’ school projects & homework assignments. I keep just a few of them–some items go in the scrapbook, and others go into an accordion file. I also take pictures of the kids with some of their projects, and the picture then goes in the scrapbook. And if it’s a project or assignment that we cannot keep, then I make sure to at least recycle it, so I don’t feel quite so bad for throwing it out.
Big Brother says
You go sister! Just wait till Christmas when I send you an even bigger bear – just kidding of course… Maybe you you can frame me that picture for my next birthday or something… I love you!
Greg
Brooke May says
What I have done is limit myself to a small suitcase (the one my mother returned to Australia with after meeting myfather in the UK).
All things sentimental have to stay within the suitcase. Limits what I can keep, but I can still have them.
Lady in a Smalltown says
I am working on purging, slowly, because it totally needs to be done. I have started taking pictures of things I can’t bear to part with, but really don’t need to have around. It is so hard to know what to do with the things though.