Every item that you ever received has some meaning behind it. The baby outfit grandma Flo made for Anna when she was one, or Anna's first tea set that Aunt Jane gave her for her fifth birthday, your favorite dress you wore in your 20's. They all have wonderful memories behind them, which make it hard to separate from. The truth is, as much as we would love to keep all those wonderful memorabilia's there never seems to be enough storage space to keep all of them. Even though the reality of the situation is that grandma Flo doesn't even remember the dress she made for Anna because Anna is 25 years old and will never use that tea set again, or the favorite dress you wore in your 20's is no longer in style and probably won't look right on you now that you're in you're mid 40's. It is still hard to just throw some things that are so dear away. So, here are some things you can think about that may relieve some of your emotional anxiety:
(1) Donating your items doesn't mean you don't still treasure those precious memories. It's what's in your heart that counts every time you think about the item. Look for pictures that you may have that shows the item. Like a picture of you wearing that favorite dress. If you don't have a picture of it, take one. You can always refer back to it when talking about it with friends.
(2) Think of all the people you will touch when you donate your items. They will get a chance to create their own memories and joyful moments with your donated gifts. The best memory they will have is that you gave it to them.
(3) I probably shouldn't say this, but clearing out old items makes room for the new ones you want to save. I think I may have broken an organizer's rule by telling you that. lol. :).
If you're looking to save space, here's an item that I live by. Yes, the spacebags. They work wonders!
Check out the organizing products section on the left sidebar for places that have other storage solutions.
