Have you ever moved or done a spring cleaning, reducing what you own?

Moving, especially a long way or to a smaller place is a bit stressful for me because of Memory.

Memory has a way of attaching itself to objects, and giving away or throwing away stuff is a lot of throwing away memories.

The easy stuff is the objects that have been sitting so long that I have forgotten the memory attached to them. Sometimes there never was a memory. I bought something and never used it. I have plenty of books like that. Most of my art supplies and computer cables I can give away. They have little emotional value.

Then there are the ones I will never use or need, but the memory is still strong. Stuff I saved from people who have passed away, in the hope of remembering them through this object. I have stuff from my mom and grandparents that fit in this category.

Then there are the things I’m embarrassed to give away, the gifts I was given by someone else, often a loved one, and giving away those things seems like I didn’t appreciate the gift many years later.

I need to understand it is okay to give that stuff away.

There is stuff that is necessary or does bring me joy. That is the stuff that gets moved — or should.

However, I have limited space to move into, less than half what I have now. That can get frustrating as to what to take and what not to.

Which thing do you take?