A dilemma that many of us face is what to do with good, possibly valuable belongings when they do not fit our life styles, or cease to please us aesthetically. I cannot count the number of people I know who have been stumped by this issue, Sometimes there is a full set of china stashed away, furniture in storage, silver in the attic, etc, etc.  We struggle with this when grandparents and parents pass away, when we move, and when we decide that we no longer want to shuffle or store certain items.  What to do?

I find that often the hardest thing for me to come to terms is my own sentimentality.  I make associations made between inanimate objects and the people I love. However, sometimes thoughts about the origins or quality of the items can make me feel guilty when I store them indefinitely, or think about giving them away:  "this box was my grandmother's (one of many)," or "I was with so-and-so when we bought this. . ."  The idea that we are disrespectful if we do not keep all sentimental items can doom wonderful treasures to dark storage shelves or, worse yet, non-acclimatized storage units.  Bring those things out into the light of day! Ask, "DO I TRULY ENJOY THIS?"

Keep it simple.  If the answer is no, we can find someone who will! 

There are good methods for sending good items on their way. The easiest, and best, in many cases, is to gift the items to family, friends or to a worthy charity.  If the value of the item is monetary, place it in a consignment store, an auction house, on EBay or in a garage sale.  It is true that we may need to store a few things for the child who loves that particular piece, but letting the rest go, to be enjoyed by others feels pretty darn great!