Re: As u age,is it more/less difficult to part w/ ... - Page 5

Maggie Nolia · ‎03-09-2010

Easier to get rid of stuff!

When younger, you're in a gathering stage. When older and wiser, you're in a distribution (to anyone to wants it, to various charities, to the trash) stage.

It's very freeing!

Flatbush · ‎07-18-2015

Well, it depends.

Clothes, shoes, pocketbooks etc. are easier.

Collections are easier i.e. tiny shoes, pottery etc I gave to those who liked them.

The very few pieces of gold jewelry that belonged to my Grandmother (whom I never met) is difficult and I have no one interested in having them.

Photographs of family, dogs, and family history documents i.e. death , birth certificates, citizenship papers, grave site locations etc are extremely hard. Have no one who cares about them.

Cards and letters that are decades old and mostly from all those who have died are impossible.

I stay awake nights trying to decide what to do with all these precious items that are my forever memories. Feels as if I would be leaving them behind, and I would.

CalminHeart · ‎03-09-2010

I'm 68 and have donated 3/4 of what was in my basement along with a LOT of other items in the last 2 years. There are so many people who need clothes, shoes, boots, furniture, etc etc, and I'm glad to have been able to help.

I keep a bin in a spare room and in the basement where I put things to donate as I run across them.

I also packed up all the heirlooms and antiques. In each bin, I put a sheet of paper with what is there and the source. Many go back to the 1700s and 1800s so I want my kids to know that. They can keep or give away anything they want after I'm gone.

Jesse Ann · ‎08-20-2022

I think it depends on how emotionally attached someone is to their possessions and not necessarily someone’s age that determines whether it is easier to let go of their stuff.
I have been trying to slowly organize and thus “clean out” all spaces. I listen to the Clutter Free Academy Podcast while I am sorting in my garage. It helps me to listen to the reasons people KEEP stuff or feel the NEED to KEEP stuff. It helps me to depart with anything that I am keeping for reasons such as: FEELING GUILTY-for giving something away, especially if it was a gift from someone; It COST A-LOT OF MONEY-but by keeping it…it still doesn’t bring me back the lost money!; I MIGHT NEED IT ONE DAY- well, maybe, but if it has anything to do with me “MAKING” something…IT GOES!!; THIS MIGHT FIT AGAIN—keep 1 size up and 1 size down from your size now, BUT if it is 2 sizes to big or small…DONATE IT! And if you haven’t worn those clothes in a year or 2 DONATE! And give yourself 3 seconds to decide whether that item makes you happy or not- if NOT-DONATE! Basically, I ask myself questions while going through my stuff: Does this make me happy? When is the last time I used/wore this? Do I really NEED this? … Then I have to think, mainly with clothes; SOMEONE ELSE CAN BE USING/WEARING THIS!
Especially in this economy, I am seeing a lot more people shopping in thrift stores. And I see people there who look “lost and uncomfortable”. This shows me that there are people out there that WILL actually USE my “stuff”! And that makes me a lot more willing to donate something I don’t need, wear, or enjoy as much, especially if I am holding on to it because it was expensive to buy or a gift from someone else-that I didn’t want or can’t use. I also ask myself, while looking at my stuff, WOULD I BUY THIS IF I SAW IT AT THE THRIFT STORE??? That question right there is the main reason I will put something into a donation bag QUICKLY!

Jesse Ann · ‎08-20-2022

@Flatbush….I’m not saying your older, this is just what I have experienced first hand in my life so far!
Please don’t loose sleep worrying about where your stuff will go! Through the years, I have noticed that as people get older they start talking about and worrying about what will happen to their house? Their car? Who is going to take their dog/cat? What will happen to this or that? Etc. One day, when you are not here anymore, you will not worry, care, and know where or what happened to your stuff. Hopefully, you will be in the most beautiful and loving place prepared for us by the One who Saved us from ourselves and permanent death. And I have noticed, by reading my Bible, that one of the hardest things for people to do was to GIVE AWAY THEIR STUFF!! And I also just recently realized that faith in Jesus and through reading His words;that is the ONLY way to Complete PEACE. No more anxiety. No more worrying. Basically the only complete mental health relief there is. I’m only writing this from MY OWN experiences with not being able to sleep because I’m worrying about something that I can’t completely control on my own. I also know, by years of experience, that when I don’t stay reading my Bible. I get to thinking about everything that (I think) is going to happen in the future and then that impacts what I talk about etc. Round and round.
Trust me, I’ve had BAD EXPERIENCES in different churches. That’s why I now keep my life Between Me and God and I don’t trust any preacher or anyone else to guide me through my life. I have realized that all the years that humans have lived on this earth WITHOUT electricity, tv, radio, good transportation, etc. all they had was a Bible and not a lot of other influences. Basically them and God. So….we come into this world with nothing and we will leave this world with nothing. And in between-we are just responsible to accept Jesus’ love for us.
I’m sorry for going on and on. I just don’t want anyone to stay awake at night and worry. That is the worst ever! Because there is nothing to do but lay there and think!! If I do wake up and can’t go to sleep, I cut my phone on and listen to the Unashamed Podcast and fall right back to sleep.
I have been throwing most cards away as I get them. That way, when those people pass away, I already don’t have them to keep. I just went through my grandma’s house when she was still there and after she moved out and together we threw away 100+s of cards people had sent to her. And most of those people are not here anymore. Sad, but it is better to replace worrying with HAPPY MEMORIES about the people you care so much about their cards and paperwork that will be left behind💖 AND, you never know, someone might think they are precious and cool and those papers, documents, cards will become useful and important to someone that you haven’t thought of😃
Hopefully they don’t delete this post. Because I really don’t want anyone losing sleep or stumbling over stuff when life is about so much more!

mimomof4 · ‎03-08-2018

In some ways maybe its age but I still think its based on your personality. There was a time where I felt I needed to keep things but now I get rid of stuff all the time.

I spent the summer clearing out a relatives house who NEVER wanted to part with things. I was amazed at how cluttered the house was behind the scenes. It looked neat until I opened up a size table - YIKES. That experience motivated me even more to clean out my house. I don't want my kids to go through the same thing.