I spent the afternoon going through old cards and letters.

[Ruth n Jersey]

We will be spending Christmas with my daughter and family in Virginia. My shopping is done and I baked some cookies for my son and hubby so I have some time for myself. I've been trying to purge around here, as my daughter calls it. I've gotten rid of quite a bit and have taken some better thing to the Salvation Army. Today I had all intentions of getting rid of this box as well but it didn't happen.

As I started to go through it I found these cards and letters way to precious to throw out. Cards and pictures the kids made in school. Post cards, Thank you notes. Even a funny one from my sister in laws dog that she wrote as though the dog did. Thanking me for keeping her while her Mom and Dad were away for a few days.

They are now nicely sorted and put back in the closet. My daughter and son will have get rid of them when I'm gone. For now I'll hang on to them and every once in awhile I'll take them out and laugh and cry over them, but I won't be the one throwing them out.

Do you hang on to old cards and letters?

 

[WhatInThe]

Oh you hoarder you. A container of greeting cards. I know people who have the same. They save envelopes for addresses and who sent them cards over the years. The kids won't appreciate it because it's not on the computer. Now a days some consider a holiday text good enough.

 

[SeaBreeze]

I don't blame you for keeping those Ruth, precious memories there. We have no kids and the only cards I really save are some of the birthday cards my husband has given me over the years. I do keep some old Christmas cards from friends and family if there is a letter contained inside the card.

 

[applecruncher]

Ruth, I still have a Valentine my mom sent me in 1986 with a note at the bottom. About a year later she was gone.

My niece & nephew are in their 20s now but I still have cards and things they made when they were in kindergarten & grade school.

ETA: My kitty has her own email account, and a friend loves to get emails from Bella. :laugh:

 

[peppermint]

I still keep my lock of hair when I was born...I had a lot of hair....I was born in a Catholic Hospital and the Nurse's put a green bow in my hair...You can tell the date I was born!!!!

I keep too much, my kids have a lot to sort through if they want....

 

[Sassycakes]

I have hair from my both children's first haircuts. I have all their report cards and anything they wrote to me or drew for me. I have the sweater my husband was wearing the day we met, and we were only 15yrs old. So I guess it's official I am a hoarder. The hoarding has continued with my grandchildren and anything they gave to me ,wrote or drew for me.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Yes!

I have an old shoebox filled with memories that will instantly transform itself into a box of junk when I die. I hope that I have the courage to destroy it someday. I hate the thought of people pawing through my memories at a garage sale or the local flea market.

Remember these?

 

[hollydolly]

Absolutely I do. I have a large box in the attic with every greetings card , or postcard ( when my daughter was on school trips)... and my daughters' first tooth, and first shoes. All her report cards and medals and certificates, even some of her school work, and when she was a teen she was in a band and she wrote the music and lyrics, I even have those. She doesn't want any of it, which is heartbreaking to me..and she'll toss it when I'm gone but I'm keeping it all the time I'm alive!!

 

[Pappy]

I had a bedroom drawer full of all kinds of cards we have received over a period of 20 or more years. Just recently I gave them a look and finally threw them out. :shucks:

 

[moviequeen1]

I have letters from my parents that I can never part with
,I really struggled getting thru my school years because homework was difficult for me,being put back twice made me feel like a loser.I always felt my older sister,younger brother were smarter than me
My parents both told me how proud they were I overcame my struggles,graduated from high school &college.They were happy I had made a life for myself Sue

 

[Ruth n Jersey]

I remember a box like the one in the photo. I agree Aunt Bea about people pawing through your things. A few years back I went to a house /garage sale. The lady who lived there had passed away and the kids just opened the place up to the public. You could go through the drawers,closets old photos,anything, and the saddest thing was that her pocketbook stood next to the chair she probably sat in. People had there hands in that also. I thought it was so sad so I left. I remember feeling blue the whole day.

Yes!

I have an old shoebox filled with memories that will instantly transform itself into a box of junk when I die. I hope that I have the courage to destroy it someday. I hate the thought of people pawing through my memories at a garage sale or the local flea market.

Remember these?

 

[ClassicRockr]

Actually, I'm going to be making a Scrapbook out of different greeting cards my wife has, from birthdays and sort forth.

 

[Ruth n Jersey]

That's a nice idea . I have to keep mine in a box. I have 2 scrapbooks already with old tickets from shows and places we have visited, poems and stories that interested me. A napkin from our first New Years Eve and the list goes on. One more scrap book and the shelf will cave in. Have fun putting it together. You will be more inclined to look at it from time to time when it is all organized.

Actually, I'm going to be making a Scrapbook out of different greeting cards my wife has, from birthdays and sort forth.

 

[Pinky]

We have one Rubbermaid box filled with our daughter's art work, crafts, dance and swimming ribbons in the storage locker. I held onto all her dance outfits and shoes (jazz, ballet, tap) up to a couple of years ago when I donated them to Value Village. She laughs at my displaying her snowman that she crafted out of Play-Doh in pre-school. I think it's awesome work for
a 4 yr. old

 

[Catlady]

Ruth, you just do what makes YOU happy. If those memories make you happy, you keep them and let your heir(s) handle it after you're gone. At least you're being nice about it and keeping them all nice and neat in that plastic container. I am a paper bag lady and need to get rid of a lot of papers so that my only child won't curse me after I'm gone and she has to spend weeks or months to look through it all.