Tuesday, April 3, 2012

40 Bags - bag #30


Bag #30, can you believe it?

My closet, again. This is the "before" pic of the long shelf in my closet. It's not bad, in fact I would say that it is organized and tidy, but there are a lot of things in there that haven't seen the light of day in many, many years. It needs a good sorting through.

I was totally right about this stuff. After sorting through it I realized why it had remained boxed up for so long. There was very little of anything in this pile of mementos that I was happy to look at. Going through those things stirred up a lot of old feelings of failure, embarrassment, shame, grief, and sorrow.

I kept what few things I might someday want to honor by putting into a scrapbook, and pitched the rest. I don't feel better about it yet, but the stirred-up feelings are still fresh. I'll give it time, and then I know I'll feel better about unloading the remnants of a very unhappy time.

Things I tossed:
  • yearbooks
  • a few birthday/thank you cards from people I don't remember
  • old journals full of crazy
  • old pictures of unhappy times
Things I kept:
  • Birthday cards, including one from my uncle while he was on his mission. He passed away over a year ago. It made me feel good to remember him. Another one was from a Junior Sunday School teacher that I don't remember, but in the card she said she would never forget me. I wonder if she did? I hope not, but in any case, I'm keeping the card. Another from my great-grandmother Amy - she wrote "To my Amy-girl." Another keeper.
  • my first attempt at crochet.
  • a book full of remembrances from Jason's funeral that includes a lock of his hair, and the tiny onesie he wore as a newborn.
  • old school certificates and awards and pictures.
I suppose I might as well acknowledge that I have reached the age when anything from my childhood is old. Ah, well.
Here's the after pic. I think the two boxes of seasonal decorations from the spare room closet will eventually be moved to this space, since all the Christmas decorations already live in my closet. It makes sense to have all the decorations in one spot, right?

3 comments:

  1. I agree with throwing away the journals. I actually get some flack for throwing mine away. Something along the lines of children and grandchildren wanting to read them. I say, not those. HECK NO. They were full of crazy and sad. I am happy reading about what you kept. I don't know why, those things just put a smile on my face. We must be alike. Which makes me feel bad for you. LOL. Just kidding.

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  2. My old (VERY old) journals went in the trash somewhere around 45 years ago...

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  3. I have nothing from my childhood. I think all my childhood mementos were lost in the Utah storage unit. Bummer. Cool that you found some of yours! Come to think of it - other than a box of Alisa baby stuff, and some of her other childhood stuff, and a few pics here and there I really have nothing from My life earlier than 10-12 years ago. Hmmm....I wonder what that says about me.

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