I have recently been selling/giving away some of the kids stuff... Well to tell the TRUTH I have been doing it since Delaney grew out of 0-3 month clothes... but at that time I just gave away what I didn't want to keep, any of her nicer dresses and outfits I kept, lots of toys and blankies and such all with the hope that we might have another daughter. When we found out we were having a boy this time around I got rid of a lot of the girl stuff but still kept just as much as I gave away...
Right after Max was born while still in the hospital looking down at his little face I said to Robyn... "I'm done" and as much as I would have a million babies and I would still love to have lots and lots more I am sooooo done!
(I didn't realize how different the two C-sections would be I guess but after Max I knew I couldn't do it anymore but that is a different post!)
So lately I have been giving away like crazy!!!!
I had to take this pic not even thinking of posting it but because even though it was just a material item and it was way to big to keep clunking around it was where my babies laid their heads at night for the first months of their lives... I wanted to remember that. I wanted to be able to say... this was where you were safest... mind you there are pictures of them both in the flipping thing so I am sure they will figure it out but I had to take the picture for me!
I know that while things cary a memory they are not the memory and I know that you can't keep everything... well you can but thats how you end up on one of those hoarders shows and my image can't take that...
So I gave the bassinet to a not for profit run by a friend of my Mom. (If your in our area it's call Hand Me Ups! and I can give you the info if you want to donate!) It broke my heart and it still hurts a little, but I know that the memory of waking up each morning (to the whimpers and cries of a hungry newborn) lying in the green bassinet next to my side of the bed, walking past a sleepy looking one month old as she drifted off to sleep in the living room, the memory of stripping all the linens off the bassinet and washing the works of it when we switched Delaney from Breast to Formula, and doing it all over again with Max when he had the stomach bug he caught from Delaney... those memories, those late night moments we shared just me and my babies I can never give those away and to tell the TRUTH... which is what Thursday is all about... I don't need the bassinet, I don't need the picture... I have those two kiddos and when I look at them no matter how big they get I still see that bassinet and I still hear the whimpers and fussing of Max as he pulled the blanket up over his face or the cries of Delaney because that kid was NEVER full...
So give it all away... sell it all... doesn't matter you can't take the memories away with the item...
Where do you stand on giving things away?? Does it hurt your heart a little each time like it does me or is just an item from start to finish with you? Tell your TRUTH in the comments!
Some items I found it easy to give away, as long as it went to someone I knew, and I asked that when they were finished if they could return the item so I could re-give it to another friend or family member.
ReplyDeleteOther items like clothes it is hard. Seeing how tiny and cute, and not being able to have them wear those clothes that have memories attached was tough, but I do feel good when I see all the extra space that is cleared up by my purging of the old toys and clothes.
This is so hard for me, but I'm getting better! But, you're right... we don't need to hold onto things to remember our memories. I'm in the middle of getting rid of a bunch of stuff, so thank you for that extra little push :)
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