We have this closet.
It’s in the basement, located below the stairs to the second story of our split-level, so it’s very deep, with a sloping ceiling.
I’ve been throwing things in there since the day we moved into this house, 26 years ago. Occasionally I’ve attempted to organize and clear it out, but they’re half-hearted attempts. We get into it a few times each year because it’s where we keep our off-season clothes. The rest of the year we just keep the door closed and call it good.
Yesterday Middle Sister wanted to look for some of her sweaters, so she started digging.And digging, and digging. In the end she decided to take absolutely everything out, throw stuff away, and make a pile of give-aways.
It was very much like an archeological dig that got down to the beginning of civilization.
There was a box of baby clothes I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of. A large portfolio of the kids’ artwork and projects. Discarded home decor. Framed photos and art that we no longer used after redecorating various parts of the house. Well-worn “Dance Dance Revolution” mats. A “Guitar Hero” guitar.
It was a time capsule of our family’s history. And in the end, very little got thrown away or given away. I’m actually very fond of clearing out, tossing, and donating.
But there are some memories that are too precious to part with.
The Husband always called these one-piece sleepers “baby uniforms.”
Mom Goes On 
I always hung onto the baby clothes that were worn by my ex and given to me by my MIL for the Son because I figured she would want them back one day. I was talking to her at our grandbaby’s funeral and mentioned that I had these clothes and asked whether she wanted them back. She told me to throw them away. I think I might unpick them and use them for something else though because although a baby today wouldn’t wear these things, some things are too precious to just throw away.
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That’s a good idea. I think I will always have room somewhere in the house for those few precious things.
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Hold onto it, because even if the memories are still there, sometimes it’s nice to have something tangible to pin that memory to. It’s always nice to know that stuff’s there and wonderful to look at after such a long time.
PS I love the archaeological dig analogy.
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I have several boxes of memories. Some say to take a picture of it and let it go. It just doesn’t seem to feel right.
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I agree. I really can let go of a lot of stuff, but some things will never go…like the Legos, the Little Tykes doll house, and the baby clothes.
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