To keep or not to keep

Most people have things they use just once a year as a family tradition, like a particular tablecloth for Thanksgiving dinner, Hanukkah or Christmas cookie cutters for baking holiday cookies, you get the idea. Even then those items aren’t really treasured heirlooms in themselves, or even necessarily valuable, they are worth keeping if they are a part of a beloved tradition. In my family, my aunt uses the Seder plate that my grandparents gave her years ago for Passover. It’s not very fancy, and the family jokes that we don’t even think it’s that pretty, but even if no one else might appreciate it, it is part of our family’s tradition. I am amazed it hasn’t broken once after all these years.

Just like a simple object can become part of an important tradition, though, something that looks like a fancy heirloom can actually be a clutter. Marcia* has a gorgeous pasta maker gadget that she doesn’t use for a specific occasion or on a regular basis, so she decided to give it away. She loves the idea of having it, but realistically doesn’t see herself using it, so out it goes into the donation pile. In addition, she has a bread maker, a juicer and a plastic-bag sealer that have been in boxes for the last three years. She decided she wanted to go through ALL of her boxes, since she found a place she felt ready to settle down in and knows she has too much stuff to fit in her new dream space. She is working to keep things that she uses actively and get rid of the rest.

One of the things she decided was that if she doesn’t use kitchen appliances within the next 30 days, yes she’s talking about the bread maker, juicer and plastic-bag sealer, she will give them away. I love that she has already set up her own policy on deciding whether to keep different items. And you bet, I have the date in my calendar to email or call her about the appliances after 30 days roll by. I can help you set up similar policy for your items as well.

*Name has been changed for privacy