Memorabilia: What to Ask Yourself When Deciding What to Keep

A friend just emailed me asking me for some organizing advice.  “Is there any need to keep cards we received for our wedding?”

The answer to that question would be different for everybody.  So here is the big question to ask yourself when deciding whether or not to keep wedding cards or any kind of memorabilia:

Does it feel like a treasure?

I suggest that everyone has a memorabilia box, and that you think of it as your treasure chest.  When you open it and look inside, you want to find gems that have worth (worth the space and worth the energy to keep). Does the item have significant meaning to you? Does it make you smile?  In this case, some of the wedding cards may be treasures and some may not.  Maybe none of them are.  Maybe all of them are.  What feels right to you?

If there’s a voice in your head that is telling you that you shouldn’t throw something out because Aunt Sally made it for you or because your grandmother always kept things like this, then hear this:

You have permission to let go of anything that you don’t like, need, or want, even if someone you love gave it to you.

Letting go of the thing doesn’t mean you’re letting go of the memory, the person, or your feelings for that person or event.   If letting go of something is the right choice for you, then you’re only weighing yourself down by keeping it.

 

Image by Pong / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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