Monday, June 16, 2008

Storing Memories

We are trying to clean out our house and get rid of the junk that has seemed to multiply and now pours out of everywhere. We have SO many baby items especially because we had twins. Two of everything, one in pink and one in blue. Now that K is here and he is our last baby I am trying to donate or sell some of our surplus.

As I go through the things we can't use anymore, like my daughter's crib bedding, her tiny dresses and baby clothing and as I think about getting rid of her crib or K's bassinet when he grows too big for it (a couple of weeks, I am sure), I get sad. My sorrow surprises me, after all they are just "things". I have pictures and my memory to get me through my years. Would holding on to my daughter's baby clothing or blankets change that? Can it take me back to the smell of my babies, the way their skin was so soft it felt like you were not touching anything at all? Would they make the memories more clear in my mind?

Getting these things out of my home and into the homes of needy people or people that could use them and want them would be best, but I can't help but feeling like I am selling my past. A part of me and my kids.
I have always had a unusual attachment to my "things" like my old stuffed animals or my favorite books. I hate to throw my things away, although I have gotten better over the past few years.
Still, I am sad. I have to get rid of things little by little so I don't overload my system.
I have decided to keep some of my favorite items for my kids. They can pass it on or use it for their children. Maybe even they will keep it stored safely away and only and take it out when they need their memories to be just a little more vivid.

6 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:12 AM

    if I didn't know better I'd swear I had written this myself. Your feelings remind me an awful lot of myself!

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  2. Isn't that the hardest thing ever, and trying to decide which few things to keep. I don't envy you the task.

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  3. I've done that before. My sister bought my daughter a nice size Tyco piggy (Beanie baby stylet hingy), 10 years ago & I wouldn't let my grandma throw it out when she was cleaning the kids rooms out!

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  4. Haven't had to let go of anything yet. Still using everything this go around. When and if we are done, it will be really hard to let go...

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  5. I'm the exact same way.

    What's really neat though is that I saved so many things from when I was a kid...my books, dolls, stuffed animals etc. and now Hailey plays with them. Some of her favorite books were my favorite books as a kid. It's so special to see her using and loving these things that were my prized possessions as a child!

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  6. I like Things, too. If I had my way, we'd build a whole additional floor onto the house, just for Thing Storage.

    My husband is eye-rolly but tolerant. And he sure was glad of it when we thought we were done having kids and then it turned out we weren't! I still had most of the stuff!

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