​I Just Can't Throw it Out | Best Senior Living Community Wichita

As we age and confront changes in our homes, we might find that we no longer have the space to hang every plate, shelve every Beanie Baby or store every Christmas sweater. But we just can't throw everything away! We spent good money on those things, we thought some of them would increase in value, and besides, we can still drink out of that Looney Tunes glass.
 
What can we do when we just can't throw things away?
 
Figure out why we're keeping it. Is it useful? Do we love it so much we just can't part with it? If someone gave us a newer version, could we get rid of the older one? If it really doesn't serve any purpose, useful or aesthetic, it might be time to let go.
 
Ponder what will become of it later. Do our heirs want our fishing rod collection? If so, why not give it to them now? If not a single member of the family wants the Spode china, and we never use it, there's no point in keeping it now, even if it was Grandmother's treasure. 
 
Will someone else treasure it? The local historical society might love to put our aunt's cedar chest on display. A women's shelter could use the piles of blankets or set of glasses we can't use anymore. The children down the street might actually love to select something from our Santa Claus collection. 
 
Passing things along is not waste. In fact, it's more wasteful to clutter the home with excess when it could be functional or beloved somewhere else. We've enjoyed our collections. Maybe it's time to pass them on.
 
Prairie Homestead
yvonne@prairiehomestead.org
prairiehomestead.org
1605 W. May Street
Wichita KS 67213