To most people these are just knitted baby hats. To me, they are meaningful. Something I wish to hold on to.
As I am building a keepsake box for our recent baby girl, it got me thinking about minimalism and sentimental items. How do we decide what to keep and what to let go of? I hope to give you some things to consider as you deal with this usually difficult area of sentimental items.
Firstly I want to share with you this quote I recently came across:
“When everything is precious, nothing is precious.”
Interesting thought! When we tend to pile everything together, no single item gets to shine so to speak. If I had kept every single newborn item from both of my girls, then would these little hats that meant so much to me have a chance to be seen? Appreciated? Cherished?
What makes an item Sentimental?
I have a handful of sentimental baby items that I have kept for both of our daughters. Each item was carefully selected as a keepsake. Each item has a personal story behind them which gives them their significance. I wish I could tell you of some special formula or checklist I apply when choosing sentimental items but it isn’t so simple. Sentimental items are different. It isn’t just about function or beauty, (although it may include them). These are items you hold close to your heart.
As I held the baby hat in my hands, a feeling came over me that I can’t quite put into words. It wasn’t a feeling of joy or nostalgia, but a deep sense of significance. Much deeper than logic alone. It represented many things to me. How tiny my baby girl was in the hospital. How sweet she looked in it. How it was the first item she possessed when she came into this world. And much more. More than I can even express.
And that’s the thing about sentimental items. No-one else can tell you what’s valuable, only you can decide that. It doesn’t need to make sense to anyone else.
As you are going through your belongings trying to decide what is truly meaningful, I suggest a few things.
- Start off with the items that you know are important to you and you want to keep.
- Spend some quiet time and hold each item. What feelings do you have?
- If you like the item but it doesn’t hold much meaning, perhaps think of someone who would appreciate it more such as a family member if it is a family heirloom.
- If you are unsure about letting go of something, would taking a picture of it help? Then you can revisit the photo any time you want to.
- If an item makes you feel sad or unhappy there is no reason to store it away, it’s okay to let it go.
- Sometimes you can repurpose or refurbish items to make them more useful or relevant to you now. Re-frame an old picture or restore an antique piece of furniture you inherited. That way you can enjoy the item and the memory now.
I truly believe that when you hold each item you will just know which ones have special worth to you. Sometimes it takes more than just looking at items.
minimalism and sentimental items
As a minimalist I try not to store items away but bring them into my daily life to be used. This also goes for sentimental items. If they are truly meaningful to me then I want to give them honor by displaying them or make them available to be looked at. My older daughter likes to look through her baby book and read the letters and stories in there. She can look through her keepsake box any time.
Things may change
Remember that over time the way you feel about your sentimental items may change. Just because they are sentimental, does not mean you need to keep them forever. You may find that when you re-visit an item it no longer holds meaning or memories. Maybe you no longer need the physical item because the memory lives inside of you. And that’s the beauty of minimalism.
For more inspiration: