Managing Your Personal Memorabilia

Memorabilia

Almost everyone has memorabilia of some sort.

Memorabilia is a broad category and might include pictures, posters, letters, journals, ticket stubs, knickknacks picked up on vacation, or other items that have a deep meaning. These are usually things we enjoy but don’t always want to display in our home. However, we feel they ae important enough to keep just for the remembrance.

Some people have a special box that holds those items or a designated drawer. Other people have many boxes, several dressers, and random items stuck here and there.

How do we choose what to keep and what to let go of?

Know why you are keeping it:

·        Does it remind you of a happy moment in your life

·        Is it a symbol of a loved one or an important moment in your life

·        Does it help you recall details of a special time

·        Does it hold information that you might use again

·        Does it help tell your family history

·        Does it show a timeline of growth or development

I have seen clients hold on to schoolwork with failing grades or snarky comments. Or they have held on to a break-up letter that makes them sad each time they see it. They may have held on to a gift that they truly do not like but liked the giver.

Consider letting go of anything that makes you feel sad or guilty. You have learned from these items so now let them go.

Only keep the items that give you joy when you look at them.

Know where you plan to display or store your memorabilia:

·        Display cabinet

·        Special memorabilia containers that fit in a closet, drawer, or shelf

·        Albums

·        Shadow boxes

If you have more items than space to store them, consider how you can reduce that content.

You may consider your children brilliant artists or writers, and you keep items to show their development. But be selective and only save the best from each year of growth. You don’t need every scribble or any ditto copies. Look for something unique to them. Consider setting up a portfolio of their work divided by year.

You want to remember that lovely trip to Italy many years ago. You have a whole shoebox and album dedicated to that trip. But at this point in time, you can limit the pictures and items to the ones that really invoke a strong memory. You can let go of most of the pictures of the interiors of churches that you can’t really remember why you took the shot in the first place. The pamphlets are dated and the maps unnecessary. If you were going to take that trip again you would research for current information.

 A few items from your grandmother’s house are nice memories. A whole shelf full may be too much. How much space do you want to devote to storing the memorabilia which represents your past? What is reasonable for you now?

If you are saving items for posterity, make certain that the items are well labeled. Paper items like posters, photographs, and letters should be kept in acid free frames or containers and protected from direct light. Both paper and textile memorabilia must be kept dry and protected from bugs and rodents. Create a digital record of the items you are storing. Know who is interested in these items. Perhaps now would be a good time to visit with them and pass these items on.

I like to keep some items that tell my life story. These items are not only a remembrance for me but something that I would like my children to at least look at when I die even though they may decide not to keep them.

How much of what we want to keep of some things changes as time goes by. I make it a habit to revisit my stored memorabilia at least once a year. Why keep the stuff if you never look at it? Every year I seem to let a little bit more go.

When my second husband died, I kept every love note, every condolence card, every picture for several years. As time went on, I started to let things go. The space of time allowed me to see what was the most precious.

The same concept holds for pictures taken on trips with my children when they were young. At some point when reviewing the pictures, I had to ask myself why I was keeping the picture of the bear taken at the zoo? Why was I keeping near duplicates?

My challenge to you:

·        Schedule a time to go through your memorabilia. Don’t feel guilty if it is not all nicely catalogued and in scrapbooks. Most of my pictures are loosely grouped either in a bag with some other items from a trip or in a plastic shoe box. I enjoy them just the same as the ones I have put into scrapbooks. These memories are for me.

·         Take a minute to write a note on the back of pictures saying who is in the picture and the year or event. You may forget at some point in time or it might be someone else who is now looking at your pictures and deciding if they are important to them.

·        Do what makes you feel happy and then put everything back for another time.

Next year when you again review your memorabilia it will be a pleasant task and not something you dread. I have just completed this yearly task myself and with a reunion coming up in a few months I have pulled some pictures and letters to share with the family.

If you need some help jumpstarting a project or some guidance with organizing your time or space, reach out and we can schedule a consultation.

Phone: 404-299-5111 – call and leave a message or text

jonda@timespaceorg.com 

Jonda S. Beattie, Professional Organizer owner of Time Space Organization, and co-owner of Release, Repurpose, Reorganize. She is based in the Metro-Atlanta area. As presenter, award-winning author, as well as a retired special education teacher she uses her listening skills, problem solving skills, knowledge of different learning techniques, ADHD specialty, and paper management skills to help clients.