Down sizing-Gifts?

[hunter63]

As we (wife and I) are moving toward moving to "The Place", our homestead, we have been cleaning and getting rid of "stuff".
Lots of stuff is pretty easy to find new homes for, rummage sales, charities, free cycle, relatives, etc.
Now we come to gifts that have been given to us, by each other, kids relatives etc. Any thoughts?

[Meg Z]

A book I own, on simplifying your life, says, "Gifts are symbols of love. Keep the love. Get rid of the symbols."

Depending on the gift, you can take pictures of it, or it with you, or something. Make a Gift Photo Album, so when the gift-givers visit, you can explain how, during your downsizing, some things were sooooo hard to part with, but you had no choice, and here's is how you kept the memory of it!

Meg

[BlueHeronFarm]

I have so much trouble with this, too- but ultimately Meg is right. The "stuff" is not as important as the moment it symbolized, so out it goes. Life changes and keeping all of your stuff forever is just not practical.

[Wolf mom]

Why do people think becuse someone has given a gift, they must keep it? What strings are attached to the gift?

This caused issues with my DIL as she thought she had to keep what I gave. Not so, I gave freely - to do with as she wished...

[Nel frattempo]

We do the picture route. Take a picture of the gift with one of us, or all of us holding whatever it is. Put the picture in our album or in our computer photo collection and then "let it go to God" as we put it. Usually that means down to the Senior Citizens Thrift Store where they sell things to get money for Meals on Wheels.

[newfieannie]

I've been downsizing too for the last 2 weeks. I'm moving and I'm not taking everything with me. down the chute most of it is going. I'm saving gifts from my son from over the years. which is mostly homemade cards which was what I wanted. I've given a lot of gifts away and taken some to the thrift store.

a few days ago I did a post where i was trying to get brave enough to lift up the compartment under the bed and after having most everything else cleaned and sorted I decided to tackle this last night . holy moley! the stuff in there. gift boxes that have never been opened. this was probably from my Husbands second wife. she was very sick for many years and most likely it was just put away. i counted 50 china cups so far! she would be 90 or so and she's been gone 40 years so they are quite old.and since I do collect them myself I will keep them. I have to wait for someone to help move the electric bed before i can proceed to the other compartments. I need a cup of tea anyway after that! i plan not to collect too much stuff after i move . ....Georgia.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

For future gifts, think about gifts in honor of the person. We give animals in honor of our friends and family to impoverished folks through Heifer International,

www.heifer.org

[farmergirl]

There is no shame in "Re-gifting" something! When I was younger, a friend's mom kept a cupboard full of items that could be given as gifts, in case some one announced a birthday party at the last minute or they had no time to shop. You could always donate them to a local church for someone to use or to a women's shelter, etc.. I like the idea of making a photo album of pictures of all of the gifts so that you won't miss 'em

[Jim S.]

Why not do what the Indians do and have a giveaway? Put that stuff in the yard and let neighbors come get it, or have friends over to take what they want. That way it stays a gift to the next person.

I love the giveaway ritual some tribes have. When a person dies, all their personal belongings are given away to others. Very cool. It can also be done at religious ceremonies, like naming ceremonies, where the person to receive a new name does a giveaway first in thanks.

It's not good to get possessive about things. Then they own you. I know, too, cuz I have become pretty much a packrat who is striving to change.