Many of us have items that we’ve inherited from family members or collected from personal experiences. Whether they’re old books, antique furniture that’s been passed down, or vacation souvenirs, these items can take up a significant amount of space. We don’t always want them, but they can be hard to part with.
These items can be classified into two categories: keepsakes and familiar objects. Sentimental keepsakes are items that have memories associated with them. For example, a special teacup that you remember your grandmother drinking out of when you visited her as a child has a sentimental memory attached to it.
If the item has no memory but was touched or owned by someone else, it does not have a sentimental attachment. For example, if your grandmother had another teacup that she always kept tucked in a cabinet, you do not have a sentimental attachment to it because you have no memories of it. There is a familiar relationship, but no attachment.
To eliminate these items from your home, you must determine if they are keepsakes or if they are just being held onto. If you have items that are just familiar, but have no real meaning attached to them, there may be no reason for keeping them.
Keepsakes are difficult to deal with because you must be willing to disassociate your memories with the items. It is important to not assign memories to one single object. These items are temporary and should not have the responsibility of holding a lifetime of memories. The experiences you remember and treasure from the past and present are your own, and you do not need to hold onto an object in order to honour and remember them.
If one of your objects were to break, you risk losing the connection you had with your memories, and as a result, risk losing the memories all together. It is better to hold onto these memories on your own, so you can ensure they will be with you always.
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