Letting Go: Your Heart's Treasures on Earth

Just as dried flowers don't do justice to fresh, so do inanimate objects grow stale over time.

The toughest thing about cleaning my room is getting rid of things people have given me.

I don't just mean the surprise gift I haven't used, the book I've never read, or the birthday notes and Christmas cards and pen pal letters from twenty-odd years of life (yes, I keep every one).  Sometimes it's merely a notebook that reminds me of a friend, or the scarf I wore on a day spent with someone I'll never forget.  And though a battle with mildew a year ago killed off some very personal possessions, I'm still sentimental.  I tend to hold onto stuff that is holding me back from a more organized room and a more balanced life.

In the past few years, I've learned a couple of tricks to letting go of beloved things that need to go:

Take a Photo
Fortunately for us, we live in an age of hi-res photos.  Before I toss anything I love, I take a picture of it, because the visual aid helps my brain recall the memory.  It's an emotional compromise, since now I still have the picture - I haven't let go 100%, but I don't have to.

This was one of my favorite shirts during my favorite year of college.

 

I hugged this purse to my side through many happinesses and heartaches. 

Write a Story
Sometimes photos are incapable of saying everything about a memory.  Journal your memory and write about the item that reminds you of it.  You may find this works even better than keeping the souvenir itself.

Give to a Friend
This is a good option for items that I'm happy to see go, but wouldn't mind seeing again as a small reminder.

Donate to Thrift
If there's still good use in the item, why not donate it to a thrift or charity shop?  This may be too difficult for some things, but personally I'm intrigued by the idea my cast-offs might become someone else's treasures.  I suppose it takes being sentimental to fantasize about thrift shops that way, but I know from experience it can happen.

If you have any tips to share, please leave a comment!  Memories are priceless.  I'm always eager to find ways of keeping them, while, at the same time, freeing myself of too many earthly treasures.