What to do with memorabilia
It’s amazing how an object can carry emotional power. You can instantly be transported back in time by simply holding an object. This is called cued recall. The object triggers our senses and we can immediately recall a particular moment in time.
Hopefully, the objects we keep will represent happy memories, but sometimes they might represent missed opportunities or life struggles. We hold on to these items as a way to remember and for some, letting go can be very difficult.
For me, the hardest things to let go of are objects that have to do with my dad. He passed away suddenly in 2000, shortly after I got engaged. I was only 28 at the time and I didn’t have much besides photos and a few keepsakes. When we cleaned out my parent’s house after my mom passed away, I found myself grabbing anything and everything that had to do with my dad. I wanted to carefully sift through his remaining objects as a way to trigger memories and events from my childhood. There were so many pieces of his life I never knew about and discovering these items gave me the sense of closeness I was craving. However, I realize that I simply could not keep it all.
Father’s Day is always a particularly hard day for me, but this year I’m kind of excited to start a project to honor my dad. He was a journalism teacher and he loved to write stories. No matter where he was he could always be found with pen and paper in hand, journaling stories of our daily activities, family history, things he wondered, dreams he had, and sometimes a random tale he had spun from a simple thought.
I’ve spent the last three years sifting through his stories and I’ve decided to turn them into a book. It's nice to give these memories purpose rather than tuck them into a box for someone else to sift through. Surely, I’m not alone in wondering what to do with memorabilia, so here are a few ways you too can give purpose to your memorabilia.
Use it!
Household objects will typically fall into this category. You can swap out something you have that is so-so with something special from your childhood or family member.
Repurpose it!
Always trending on Pinterest, repurposing is a great way to continue to keep something front and center. When my uncle passed away, my aunt made quilts out of all his old flannel shirts for his kids and grandkids.
Digitize it!
Eliminate the excess by digitizing memorabilia so you can search and share it. This is a great way to organize and store old family photos, movies or audio recordings.
Gift it!
Passing down objects along with the stories can be a wonderful gift for a child or young relative, especially if they show some interest in the object.
Remember, it’s hard to make decisions on objects that wield our emotions. If you’re not sure what to do, it’s good to hold off on making any big decisions. It took me a while to figure out what to do, so don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t come to you right away.
