I am a sentimental person, I kind of wish I was one of those people who could throw stuff out without a care in the world, but I have to face it, I’m not. I remember when we moved out of our home that my hubby and I first brought together after we got married, and the same home where I brought home my newborn babies to. It was hard, although we had outgrown the house I was still very attached to it. I remember clearly the day we packed the final boxes into the car, Aspen, then only 6 years old was crying her little heart out (she is so much like her mother), I held her in my arms and we cried together. It was just a house, walls, floors and a roof, how could I become so attached to a house?
What was also hard was packing the boxes because it meant going through everything and deciding what to keep. Adam was only 10 months old and I was still unsure if we would ever have another baby. My pregnancy with Adam was high risk, and both our lives had been in jeopardy due to a unusual heart condition I had developed whilst pregnant. So I knew deep down I wouldn’t be able to have another child, but at the time I wasn’t really ready to face that my days of being pregnant or holding a newborn were over. One of the hardest things for me was packing up my baby clothes, not only had I hung onto all Adam’s adorable little 0000 clothing, but I still had all the girls stuff too! (Clearly I had too much closet space). I remember sitting on the floor holding these teeny tiny clothes and it just broke my heart. We also went through the process of giving away the baby swing, car capsule, baby sling and all the other items that we no longer needed. It wasn’t easy.
Why is it that I have such a sentimental heart? Why do I get so attached to ‘things’? I started writing this because I am in the middle of going through Adam’s closet and trying to decide what I should keep when we move. Our house has only just gone on the market so I’m in no hurry, but I am trying to de clutter as we have an open house this weekend. Adam was one and a half when we moved into our current home so he has a lot of little toddler items that he has grown out of, but they are just so cute! And I just wasted an hour going through his photo albums and baby books!
The children have changed a lot since we moved in, the toys, books and games they enjoyed then are all different, but along the way I seemed to have held onto everything and anything. Who decided moving houses was a good idea? It’s really hard work and that is physically and emotionally. I must admit though it is good for the soul to have a big clean out. It really makes you realise how much we buy though, it’s terrible. I am determined to find good homes for all the books, games, clothes and toys that we no longer need.
I am trying to do all my sorting out whilst the children are at school, I know my children and they are too much like me, and their paternal grandmother, we want to hang onto everything. My children would refuse to let me give away anything if they knew what I was up to. All these items have fun memories attached. But the thing is, they are just things! When I really think about what I loved about our first home it was the memories we created there as a family. When I look at Adam’s little size one tops I remember what it felt like to love him as a one year old. It’s the memories that these things evoke, not the things themselves that matter.
I guess it is like grieving for what was, realising that a certain part of our lives has now passed. I read a post earlier today on youbabymemummy and she wrote about the bliss of snuggling with her little girl whilst giving her the bottle and it brought back some beautiful memories of when my babies were little. Packing up boxes, choosing what to take with us into our new home is like packing up memories. We have only been in this home a little over 4 years and I thought we would be here at least 20, already though we have made amazing memories. As I pack up the special items with care, I am packing up memories as well, wrapping each one in tissue paper and laying them gently into a box ready to take with me on our new adventure. At the same time I am saying goodbye to the past, letting go of the things I no longer need.
Before we moved into this home I was afraid that the happiness we shared in our first home wouldn’t carry through to this home, but it did, and now I have to let go of this home and remember that as long as we are together as a family we will be happy wherever we go. A house and the items in it are not what matters, they are not what holds the value of our homes. The value is what is in our hearts and we take that wherever we go. I will be doing a lot of packing over the next few months and I am going to try very hard to only hang onto the necessities, oh who am I kidding I will also be hanging onto many sentimental items too! But I do promise you that I will cut down on at least half. Deal?
Click to Tweet: It’s the people in our lives that matter, not the ‘things’ we own.
I’d love to hear from you, do you hang onto sentimental items? Do you have any of your own childhood possessions that your parents kept? Love to hear your thoughts. And don’t forget you can link up your posts below.
Thanks for joining me, love Mackenzie xx
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15 comments
Great photos. I am not personally particularly sentimental. I don’t hang on to much and if I do it is for practical reasons, like we might need that. Even I wish I could be more ruthless because I feel a great sense of lightness when I have less stuff but it is tough. I do keep things from the kids but I have a limit to that as it must fit in a certain size box. So I have 2 or 3 baby things, but it is mostly their drawings and cards they have made that I keep.
Things can remind us of the past and getting rid of them can feel like getting rid of that time but those things are always within us. Good luck with the packing.
I used to be really sentimental, then we moved into a smaller house and we were smothered by stuff. So, that combined with my parents moving and seeing how much time and money was devoted to moving things that have been in boxes for years that no one has seen, has made me swerve to the more minimalistic mindset. I try to limit a box for each girl of really sentimental items. Other things I take photos of. I donate everything I can. I gave my photographer friend who just had a baby lots of clothes so I get to see the clothes being used, thanks to social media. It’s rough. But I see how much the items I own can weigh me down (dusting, displaying, wrapping up to store, worrying about who will want it in the future). I opened up a box I had packed away for my girls of dishes from my great grandmother. I had forgotten about them, I thought they were ugly. I realized that if I thought that they were ugly, my daughters would probably as well. They would also wonder why I was giving them dishes that belonged to someone they had never met, not to mention that they probably would never see this dishes before I give them to them. And then I thought my great-grandmother would probably want someone using those dishes, so they are in my “give away” pile, after I have taken a good photo of them.
I love this idea about taking the photos and living a more minimalistic lifestyle. It is silly having things in boxes that we never look at isn’t it? Thanks for your comment I needed it especially as we will be downsizing xx
I am sentimental but I am better able to manage it now. I had to get rid of most of our stuff to move overseas. The kids stuff was so difficult. I have kept a few precious outfits and precious toys. Seeing their tears when they realised we were getting rid of their toys was heartbreaking. So I understand. Remember that by cleaning out you are making room for new memories. Keep the most precious, like the outfits your babies came home in and their favourite toy as a baby. xx
Lovely post and thanks for mentioning mine. I hang onto a fair bit of stuff, I love concrete ‘things’ to go with my memories and I want Baby to have things from her childhood when she is older xx
I think having children makes you so sentimental. I’ve clung to every tiny piece of rubbish with sentimental value. I have over 50 tiny baby babygrows that I refuse to dispose of. I have both bounty packs still assembled with all the pointless leaflets, too precious to let go of. I need to get a grip haha xx
Thanks for making me feel better, we’ve just been going through my daughters teddies it’s so hard to give any away
I am like this about some things and not about others – it varies. I had to read the post as that photo with the little blue and white hat is just gorgeous! #TwinklyTuesday
Awe thank you, the years fly by. Thanks for coming by xx
I feel the same at times. I remember the good times when we travelled the world together me and my toddler and our old home full of so many memories. Now she is 7, and I have adrenal failure and life is so different and I do miss the things we did…we just have to do things differently now and enjoy each day as it is. A Fab Post!
Angela from http://www.daysinbed.com
Thank you so much for your comment, wishing you well xx
You are spot on – it is the people in our lives that matter most. We have downsized now and I must admit I don’t seem as sentimental as I used to be. Thanks for sharing with us at #WednesdaysWisdom
Lovely post Mac, really sums up my sentimental side! I find it really hard to let go of the things that remind me of a moment in time that is now long gone. I have a box of letters that were written to me by my family when I first left home (23 years ago!), they are all tied up in bundles waiting for a rainy afternoon to re-read and remember. Treasured now more than ever, as 3 of those letter writers are no longer here. I’m happy to have a sentimental heart and never sorry that I kept their precious words. #mummy&us
I used to hold onto sentimental things, in part as a reaction to my mother’s technique of disciplining/punishing me by throwing out the things that mattered to me. Once I started blogging, I got less attached to things. My words were another way to hold onto the same great memories. Thanks for linking with #TwinklyTuesday.
I’m not sentimental about stuff, which at times has made me feel defective. Especially when friends have droves of their kids stuff and I confess that I’ve donated my kids stuff. Will they want the stuff I’ve given away? Although my kids aren’t sentimental either. Which I’m sure they got from me. Which makes me feel guilty. Again.
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