Organising for Sentimental People

I am usually not a very sentimental person.

With letters, cards and notes, I restrict myself to a memory box which is the size of a big shoebox (the ones that boots come in).

When that box gets too full, I make myself go through it to throw out things that are no longer as meaningful for me. It’s amazing to me how something that you absolutely had to keep at the time can lost its sentimental value after a few years.

Anyway, back to these shoes.

When Dion and I got married 12 years ago, we had to drive to Harrismith on the day because we were booked to sleep over at a motel that night. We then drove the rest of the way to San Lameer the next day.

We were in such a hurry and in those days, I didn’t have all my travel lists so I grabbed my clothes bag and my takkies and off we went. Sometime on the way (might have been the next morning) I realised that I only had one of my shoes and the other must have fallen out of my hands before we left.

So when we got to Margate, South Africa (just outside San Lameer), we stopped at Mr Price and bought these shoes. I wore them the entire honeymoon but not very much when we got back because they’re not the most comfortable shoes.

Now these shoes have travelled with me from house to house (this is the 4th place since we’ve been married), I wear them once or twice every December and that’s it.

But I recently bought a new shoebag that takes 10 pairs of shoes and because I wanted everything to fit nicely, I thought of throwing these out.

And then I felt really sad.

So that’s when Dion suggested taking a picture of them. The idea to blog about it was my idea. Kind of like closure. And you’ll be pleased to know I let them go quite easily after that. And my shoebag looks very pretty now.

Now that I’ve bared my soul, it’s your turn.

Are you sentimental? What do you do with items that you just can’t let go of? And how do you control your sentimental keepsakes?

Marcia Francois is a time management and organising coach who teaches small business owners and other busy people how to organise their time, space, business and life. Visit Marcia’s website for your free e-book, 100 Surefire Ways To Organise Your Busy Life, and the rest of your Organising Success Pack.