Things. Memories. As we age, those are what and who we are. Things are sometimes difficult to let go. Memories sometimes just go, stored away somewhere, sometimes to come back after something jostles that bundle of whatever in our heads. Memories. Lovely story, obrigado.
Thank you for your comment, Bob. I love the way you put this. It made me think that perhaps the objects themselves matter less over time than the memories they quietly hold for us. And sometimes, as you say, all it takes is the smallest thing to bring those memories rushing back. Obrigada for such a thoughtful reflection. - CW
This was a great article - really well written and touching. Such a great new life for an old, unused object! I’m one of the rare weirdos who doesn’t have much of an attachment to “things”. It wasn’t difficult for me at all to get rid of 99% of my stuff prior to moving here. My partner, on the other hand, agonized and really suffered emotionally by having to declutter. I have a hard time understanding the importance of something that sits in a box unused, unadmired and in a lot of cases, completely forgotten about. I mean, if you haven’t looked at it in 20 years and pretty much forgot that it existed, is it REALLY that meaningful?? Anyway, we each have our individual preferences and we just have to respect them. Thanks for the article.
Thank you for your comment, Timothy. I smiled reading this because Paul and I discovered something similar - that people can experience the very same process in completely different ways. Some of us attach memories to objects, while others carry those memories without needing the objects themselves. Neither is right or wrong, but it certainly makes for an interesting journey when two people are decluttering together! - CW
"Interesting" is a good way to put it! Because we have so much less space here than in the US, my frequent question was "if you keep X, where are you going to put it?" That often forced the tough decisions. I always said that if it's THAT important to you, keep it and pay for storage in the US. Luckily (for me), my partner's stinginess usually won out over nostalgia!!! ;)
I think many of those decisions ultimately came down to exactly that question! It's amazing how quickly nostalgia meets reality when you're deciding what will actually fit into a new life. Looking back now, I don't miss most of the things we left behind nearly as much as I once imagined I would. - CW
This touches my heart. We went through that culling process in the two-year time frame of getting here. Four generations of possessions was our assignment—reviewing and revisiting, separating things into boxes until we figured out what we might give away, sell or bring. Books, records and art were priorities, and photos that still needed to be digitized made the cut. It was an emotional process, but it helped us lighten our load and begin again. Hopefully some of the things we donated to Goodwill made it into homes that needed or wanted them.
Thank you for your comment, Maria. I think you've described so beautifully what so many people experience but rarely talk about. It's never just about sorting possessions; it's about revisiting chapters of our lives. I love your thought that some of those things may have found new homes where they were truly needed and appreciated. There's something comforting about that. - CW
Things. Memories. As we age, those are what and who we are. Things are sometimes difficult to let go. Memories sometimes just go, stored away somewhere, sometimes to come back after something jostles that bundle of whatever in our heads. Memories. Lovely story, obrigado.
Thank you for your comment, Bob. I love the way you put this. It made me think that perhaps the objects themselves matter less over time than the memories they quietly hold for us. And sometimes, as you say, all it takes is the smallest thing to bring those memories rushing back. Obrigada for such a thoughtful reflection. - CW
This was a great article - really well written and touching. Such a great new life for an old, unused object! I’m one of the rare weirdos who doesn’t have much of an attachment to “things”. It wasn’t difficult for me at all to get rid of 99% of my stuff prior to moving here. My partner, on the other hand, agonized and really suffered emotionally by having to declutter. I have a hard time understanding the importance of something that sits in a box unused, unadmired and in a lot of cases, completely forgotten about. I mean, if you haven’t looked at it in 20 years and pretty much forgot that it existed, is it REALLY that meaningful?? Anyway, we each have our individual preferences and we just have to respect them. Thanks for the article.
Thank you for your comment, Timothy. I smiled reading this because Paul and I discovered something similar - that people can experience the very same process in completely different ways. Some of us attach memories to objects, while others carry those memories without needing the objects themselves. Neither is right or wrong, but it certainly makes for an interesting journey when two people are decluttering together! - CW
"Interesting" is a good way to put it! Because we have so much less space here than in the US, my frequent question was "if you keep X, where are you going to put it?" That often forced the tough decisions. I always said that if it's THAT important to you, keep it and pay for storage in the US. Luckily (for me), my partner's stinginess usually won out over nostalgia!!! ;)
I think many of those decisions ultimately came down to exactly that question! It's amazing how quickly nostalgia meets reality when you're deciding what will actually fit into a new life. Looking back now, I don't miss most of the things we left behind nearly as much as I once imagined I would. - CW
This touches my heart. We went through that culling process in the two-year time frame of getting here. Four generations of possessions was our assignment—reviewing and revisiting, separating things into boxes until we figured out what we might give away, sell or bring. Books, records and art were priorities, and photos that still needed to be digitized made the cut. It was an emotional process, but it helped us lighten our load and begin again. Hopefully some of the things we donated to Goodwill made it into homes that needed or wanted them.
Thank you for your comment, Maria. I think you've described so beautifully what so many people experience but rarely talk about. It's never just about sorting possessions; it's about revisiting chapters of our lives. I love your thought that some of those things may have found new homes where they were truly needed and appreciated. There's something comforting about that. - CW