I had been so filled with joy in emptying out boxes and sorting through things from my move to Pittsburgh.
Really.
Overflowing with joy!
There were things that were easy to either move on to a new home or get rid of because if you have not used something in 3 years, you probably don’t need it right?
However, I moved here with LOTS of things from/for my kids. Things they made. Things I made for them. Things I loved dearly and that sparked such amazing joy.
If something sparks joy, Marie says it’s a keeper and this stuff sparks joy and then some! However, would they spark more joy in my children’s homes now?
Two Year Old Hands carefully stitched.
I had to take a step back and reassess my Konmari process. There are things that Marie Kondo had left out of her amazing little book. She forgot about the Saudade items – those things that bring deep, nostalgic, and melancholic longing for a time that will never return.
So, I have begun a box or two that will go with us when we visit my kids at the end of the month. The sorting process has gone rather slowly as I have worked through the challenging task, and it has been filled with bittersweet memories and a wistful longing for days gone by.
I am going to need more Kleenex™ to get through this.
(((Kat))). Sending more Kleenex your way…
What an interesting post! You have addressed the huge roadblock I came upon during my main clearing-out process, and I’m glad to at least have the word to describe what it is. I don’t yet know what to do with all those special childhood books, pictures drawn for me and notes that say, “I Love, You!” besides continue to store them. My kids are out of the house but not yet in “permanent” places, so don’t have room for all of their stuff (let alone some of the things I want to give them). Won’t they be surprised when I pull up in the U-Haul truck with their boxes! Good luck and keep that Kleenex™ handy!
Ha! I would send some tissues, but am afraid I need them all for myself. I have boxes of books (some I had as a child and then those we bought for our son), school papers (proud mama), clothes that I made or knit for our son, etc. The clutter certainly does not spark joy, but the memories do (along with a few sniffles and tears now and then).
I know how you feel. I am more attached things from my children’s childhood than from my own!
We sorted through all that stuff when we moved house four years ago. Katie took her boxes when she moved into her house a few summers back. I’m still storing Sara’s boxes. And I haven’t been able to sort through all the photos. I try…and then I get sidetracked. We should take out stock in Kleenex!
Those are the hardest things to deal with, I think. Good for you for tackling this difficult task.
There’s something comforting and pleasant about going through it for me. Though I’m pretty good at tossing – we’ve emptied a few abodes over the past few years. Those kid books and the Lego…tough stuff! 🙂
my house is FILLED with kid stuff and they are adults. I wish my daughter would clean out her room but the CA living style is a two year commitment and then they move again. I hope in the next place they will have room for her stuff.
Good luck thinning out the memories….that is not easy at all.
I have neatly avoided that part of my own KonMari process. Planning to plow through during the dark winter months. Advice and strategies welcome! 🙂