Are you planning on moving and wondering what mementos to ditch and keep?
There are many reasons you may be leaving your childhood home behind: you’re getting married, you’re facing divorce, your parents died or they’re moving into a nursing home. Whatever the reason, it’s never easy to say goodbye to all the memories you made there. As you go through the belongings deciding what to keep and what to get rid of, you’ll have to make some tough decisions on what you’ll keep dear to remind you of those sweet years. Here are five mementos you should hold onto during your residential move, as well as some things it’s OK to let go.
Finally Moving On
First, let’s go over what you should NOT keep when making a move of this magnitude.
- Other people’s memories: Sure, you may have kept the program from your sister’s wedding or a pressed flower from your cousin’s baptism, but it’s important to recognize these are not your memories to keep. Houzz suggests releasing yourself from the burden of keeping other people’s memories and stick with your own.
- Short-term mementos: From birthday cards and event programs to invitations and birth announcements, there are many items we hold onto for much longer than we should. It’s OK to keep them for a little while — perhaps tack them to a cork board or stick them to your fridge. After a few weeks, though, it’s time they got thrown into the trash. These small things you collect along the way can really clutter your personal space if kept for a lifetime.
- Inherited treasures: You may not think you could possibly part with your great aunt’s China collection or your grandma’s giraffe figurine collection, but you have to examine why you’re still holding onto that stuff. Are you keeping them because you actually need them and like to display them or are you clutching to a childhood memory of your loved one that you feel guilty letting go of? If you absolutely can’t bear the thought of parting with inherited stuff, snap a picture, write a memory on the back and put it in an album. Not only does this take up less space, it will mean more in the long run.
- Free stuff: Think about all the freebies you get from tradeshows, conferences, fairs, workplace giveaways, your kid’s school and wedding favors. While you may have been psyched to get something for free, its usefulness has probably worn itself out already. They should never make it into your box of treasured mementos, so toss that votive candle bearing the date of your friend’s wedding, the company paper weight you got at last year’s Christmas party and all those free key chain flashlights from your bank. Do they even work any more?
What Stays?
Now we can talk about what to keep during this transition from childhood home to new beginnings.
- Representative samples. Rather than include the whole lot in your cherished treasure box, keep one item that represents all the rest and toss what remains: who needs 50 extra birth announcements or wedding programs?
- Triumphs over adversity. Anything that represents a time when you overcame an obstacle, such as the college diploma that took you five years to get due to juggling work and kids as a single mom or that photo of you atop the mountain you never thought you’d conquer. Being reminded over and over again of how you overcame an obstacle is always a good thing, and a good lesson to pass onto your own kids.
- Reminders of positive events. This includes only the very best days of your life — the days you would re-live over and over if you could. Examples include the birth of your children, your wedding day, or closing day for your new home. Choose only the BEST events, people, places and experiences to show a timeline of your success in life.
- Beloved items. Whether it’s that Teddy bear with the mangled fur, an old blanket that used to see you through nightmares as a kid, or your dad’s shirt that still holds his smell two years after his death…these are all things to hang onto because even a photograph can’t capture the feel and smell of these memories.
Contact Moving Proz in Kansas City
While we can’t help you decide what’s important to keep and what to toss, we CAN help ease this transition by providing seamless packing and moving in Kansas City and Denver. Contact us today for a free quote to get started on the next phase of your life.