How to Cherish the Memories without Holding onto the Stuff
February 1, 2010 by Angela Esnouf
Filed under Organising Space
Are the cupboards and drawers bulging? Do containers poke out from beneath beds? Are there boxes gathering dust in the attic? Do you have whole rooms dedicated to stuff you don’t use? Some of us even pay a monthly fee to store more stuff.
Much of what we have stashed away in drawers and cupboards, under beds, in the roof space represents our past – the happy times, the challenges, the trips and events, the victories, the funny words, the people we won’t see again and special moments we want to remember forever.
After all, without those drawings, trinkets, souvenirs and mementoes, we’d forget those happy times and challenges overcome, the travels and people, wouldn’t we?
Well, actually, no.
There are many ways to keep the memories alive without sacrificing space and sanity to dust-collectors. Here are just a few…
Write it down
Keeping a journal can preserve memories for both you and the next generation. There are so many different kinds – gratitude journals, diaries and travel logs capture the here and now. Even Facebook acts as a record of what’s going on in your life. But there’s also the kind of journal which looks back. Listing your “favourite 5” requires reflection and provides a glimpse into your world. What’s your favourite five movies, cities, friends, years, teachers…?
A picture tells a thousand words
Grab the camera and photograph the ordinary as well as the extraordinary. Resist keeping every piece of art and papier maché masterpiece your child brings home from school and snap them with their work.
Digital cameras make it easy to take more shots than ever. It’s also easier than ever to delete the less than perfect ones and share the great ones.
Scrapbooking is a popular way to honour memories. Be careful though, scrapbooking supplies can mount up.
Go digital
One quick way to make space in the living room is to toss all the videos. That technology is heading out fast. If there are any you simply can’t live without, have them converted to DVD, which take up less space and will be watchable for a while longer.
A scanner is a useful space-saving tool. Scan documents and store them digitally. Even 3D items can be scanned.
Phone a friend
By far my personal favourite way to relive memories is to share them with a friend. Get on the phone, arrange a coffee catch-up, host a dinner party or even a school reunion. Play “remember when?”
Why bother?
But why is it so important to have space in drawers, cupboards and under beds? Why bother to clear the junk room and tear up the storage facility accounts?
Clearing the decks, or downsizing:
- Saves money – no need for the storage facility or buying a bigger house
- Saves time – no more spending hours looking for something
- Saves effort – no more juggling boxes to reach what you need
- Makes room – for living in the here and now
- Reduces stress – enjoy a simpler existence
- Opens you up to possibilities – out with the old, in with the new
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Are there some things from the past you just can’t part with?
My wish is for us all to get busy living life in the here and now, making new memories to cherish.
Great post! I’ll tweet you a shout out. I really like the idea of a coffee-catch up! I’m going to make it a point to call a couple of friends and schedule something. It’s already on my calendar.
Thanks, Liz. Who knew having coffee could be a way to keep clutter at bay?
Ah, junk. The collected history of our tribe. You are right. There must be other ways to manage it. I will look at our collection with new eyes. Thank you, Angela.
great series, we need to declutter!
Hi Angela .. so true and it’s so easy to put things onto a chip! Have to say I’m not that good in that direction yet – but soon I hope. Decluttering clears the mind too – and that’s so important .. I’m about to do some derubbishing today … Hilary
I have been on a “remove the clutter campaign” for over a year. And I find it hard work and slow going. Now that I’m thinking of downsizing my home, I finally have a great reason to either give stuff away or throw it away. But I like your ideas that memories don;t have to be triggered by the things themselves, but simple reminders will work. Nice.
Thanks everyone. I’m really interested to hear some more memory-keeping tactics that don’t involve keeping a bunch of stuff. Any ideas?