Sentimentality -what items do you keep?

Oh I have kept some "items" over the years, outfits my children were christened in, wristbands from their births in hospital, lots of Xmas decorations that they made at school, and of course school reports. Then things that some will find a bit daft or really sentimentality gone mad!!.....my dad's old bus pass, he looks so young on it, but must have been over 60 (he was 85 when he died). My mum died when I was a teenager (she was only late 40's) I found a letter going through my dad's things, and it was one she had written to a friend of hers (returned by the lady she sent it to, to my dad after her death, as it was so lovely) detailing how I had reacted to my new baby brother ( I wasn't that bad!!). It will be kept and my children will decide when I'm not here what to do with it (probably bin it as no sentimentality these days) but it is so lovely to just see her handwriting. I also have a little book that was my dad's for keeping tabs on birthdays, special days etc, again because it's his handwriting I will not let it go. Hubby always keeps Father's day, mother's day cards plus birthday and anniversary cards from the children and grandchildren (think he's worse than me sometimes!!)
It's good not to throw everything away, I know we are a throwaway society these days but what will our children and grandchildren, and even further down the line have to look back on fondly?

I have most if not all of my mothers day cards from my son, along with all of his birthday cards in a scrap book.
I even have kept the letters that my ex husband and I exchanged before we got married - he was in Australia and I was in the UK so most of our romance was by letter - phone calls were too expensive to make internationally back then . I kept them just to show my son that we did love each other at one point!
I also have most of the tickets from various concerts and sporting events, then several bits and pieces that belonged to my parents - even have my dad's army papers from his national service and his ration book. My mums reading glasses along with her mums - I think that is about the only thing apart from photos that my mum had,sadly.

All sorts of bits and pieces; the childrens’ school reports; one of DH’s school reports (that’s an eye opener!); my father’s Army cap badge that went through the war with him and which he treasured more than his medals, and some of his letters in his beautiful handwriting; a brown Denby coffee pot and a marcasite ring that belonged to my mother ; a file of hand written recipes from my late sister who as a wonderful baker; a spectacle case (still in use) made in a junior school needlework lesson by my DD; a wrist watch stand made by DS in a woodwork lesson, and a small porcelain dish that he bought for Mother’s Day from a flea market when he was ten; a string of tiny yellow beads and a light up model of the Eiffel Tower that GS bought for me on a school trip to Paris. All precious. To me anyway!

I have my husband's love letters sent when we were 'courting' back in the sixties. He was a railway fireman working on an engine and could be stuck miles away waiting for a train to bring him back home. He got into the habit of sending me letters and postcards. I have a lovely card showing many of the railway tracks of Shrewsbury station. To him, that would have been far more attractive than a lovely view of the countryside!

I’m don’t keep sentimental stuff anymore. Not since my daughter, on finding my ‘memory box’ stuffed with cards that she and her brother had made when they were small, family photos, my small collection of rosettes won at horse shows when I was single and all sorts of other bits and bobs, said ‘Do you want this mother? If not I’ll skip it’. She’s obviously not at all sentimental. Hmmf!

I'm a declutterer and every time I go through one of the kitchen cupboards I put my Grandma's egg poaching pan on the side to throw away but then when the time comes I put it back in the cupboard. I've had this pan since the Eighties and have never used it but it holds such memories of the times spent in Grandma's kitchen that I simply can't throw it out.

The name tag, little white gown and shawl that my DS came home from the maternity unit in. Little things he made whilst at primary school; a little cloth frog and a first attempt at pottery, a small wooden heart with the faded words "For Mum, I Love You" written in a 6 years handwriting. I've moved house many times but these things are so precious to me and are the first things that I find a place to display them.

Far too much as others have said. Recently I got a box of photos out in order to throw some away, but had such a lovely time sorting through that very few went out!

My daughters call me mother too when they disapprove of something I do narrowboatman

I don't really save anything, the bible I carried at my first wedding, last card from my son in law before he died and the pictures my grandchildren drew when they were small.

I have kept my Papa's (granddad's) bow tie and my Dad's school tie, some pictures and cards made by my children and grandchildren, postcards sent by my children, an old school magazine, a couple of my old school reports, many letters, short stories I've written, paintings I've done, essays and course notes, about 30 old diaries......... probably far too much when I think about it. At some stage I will need to dispose of those things that relate only to me and are probably only of interest to me.

I have kept hundreds of cards etc from various family and friends, I’m not sure why because when I die I’m sure they will just be binned. Every now and then I think about throwing them away, I’ll get them out, read a few, and then put them all back. The one thing I have kept ( and is still on display )is a little ornament my son bought me on his first school trip 42 years ago. I can just see him getting off the school bus with it clutched in his hand. Better still, his best friend followed him off the bus clutching a huge tube of SR toothpaste for his parents. It still makes me laugh thinking about it. Such happy days !!.

Far too many things to list! All my Mum's momentos, all my Mum-in-law's, a lot from my Gran including a set of silver dessert knives my Grandad gave her on their engagement, the family Christening gown and a nightdress she made. Lots of photos and old coins, my Dad's graduation gown and mortarboard, Coronation mugs and a set of Edwardian coffee cups and saucers to name but a few. Drives my OH mad!

Far too much, I’m a real hoarder. One favourite piece is a not particularly attractive locket from my grandmother but it has pictures of her grandparents in it (so my great, great grandparents) who brought her up as her mother died soon after she was born. I have all my mum’s diaries, which mainly record the weather since 1960! But with them I found a little notebook which my dad used as a diary in the 1920s which has some fascinating little snippets of info. No doubt my kids will bin the lot when I’m gone.

Loads and loads and loads of items! Things the DDs made at school, this week a poem turned up about 'My Mother' that one DD wrote about 30 years ago. Stuff belonging to my father who died in 1964 - I still won't let DH use my father's shoe cleaning equipment (he never allowed me to use it!). Sometimes I think I'll put labels on some items so when the DDs clear the house when I shuffle off this mortal coil they will see why they were treasured.

An old 1920s sit up and beg bicycle made by Humber, refurbished and given to me 45 years ago for Christmas by my then boyfriend. I rode it to work every day back then and it was always commented on. No gears, metal rod brakes, 31" wheels. It needs new tyres and brake pads now but I can't ride it any more, it's really hard work. The lovely boyfriend and I eventually parted and tragically he died but I still love that old bike and my daughters have promised that it will always have a home in a shed or garage and maybe even restored again.
I have other treasures too, paintings by my children, my mums locket with MIZPAH engraved on the back and a ceramic pot bought in Glastenbury by the above mentioned boyfriend.
Writing these memories has taken me back to the 70s again.

Al the letters my husband sent me during the war and when he was working in Italy. Photos of myself three moths old and nine months old, hospital note about the birth of my son, mine and my sons school reports. My school certificate and typing and shorthand certificates. Homemade birthday cads made by my children when they were little. My and my husbands army passbooks. Wartime ration books. My sons boatshaped feeding bottle. Etc.

My Grandma's China tea set and my Great Grandma's brass bell which was on the counter of her grocers shop. I feel that I should label these items as my family may forget who they belonged to. I'm sure one of them may want to hold onto them.
I have the children's name/weight cards from their hospital cribs and their wrist name tags.

When my son got married and moved to the other side of the world I also remarried and so had to have a clear out as we were putting the contents of two houses into one.

I made up an album and a box for my son. It had his hospital baby wrist band. Romper suit he wore for a photo on his first birthday. His grandfather's work union card, Pipe, penknife and baccy pouch. The album had photos and also his first school report and his last school report before uni. And a copy of his Ph.d certificate. His first swimming certificate for 50 yards.

His christening certificate and the Bible he was given in BB. Plus other small items.

When his son was a few months old he sent me one of baby's winter hats, unwashed. I treasure that hat. It hangs on the corner of my bedroom mirror.

A gold pendant my father bought my mother for their silver wedding anniversary, he died only 2 years later when I was still in infant school. It is too precious to me to wear because I'm scared I'll lose it.
My mother's first passport from the days when you could add a child to an adult passport. She only got it so that me and her could go to visit my brother and Sil in North Africa where he was working.
A birthday card handwritten by my brother, a rare item because my Sil always wrote the cards and a cross stitch card my Sil made for me on my graduation.
A lock of my niece's hair and a recording of my nephew with his band.
The first card my WP (wonderful partner) ever sent me and the first valentine gift he bought me, a love spoon.

Unwashed..... So I could smell baby ?

I have kept waaaay too much stuff! Birthday cards, my daughter's baby books, their first drawings at nursery (they are 35 and 40 now). Clothes that I wore when I was a hippy chick in the early 70s , my dear old dad's army book and a myriad of photographs etc etc. Oh dear, I must clear stuff out before I die and otherwise my children will have a hell of job!

I’m incredibly sentimental and have quite a lot of things from both grandmothers. I was very close to one of them and when she died a few years ago my parents found a huge cardboard box in her wardrobe that was full of my drawings and things I’d done over the years. It still makes me cry to think she kept them all, the box is now at my parent’s house as I can’t bear to throw them out. I’ve also got a collection of resin bears that used to reside on my grandma’s dressing table, my toddler (who is named after my grandma) is now attached to them and carries them all over!

My grandma's baking tins which I still use regularly. A pottery black cat with a broken ear that sat by my grandfather's chair on their hearth. Hospital tags from dc etc are precious but my grandparents things remind me that they were born in the Edwardian era and lived to see man walk on the moon

I forgot to mention my collection of Royal Ballet programmes from the early sixties, some of them autographed by Margot Fonteyn and /or Rudolf Nureyev. I was a student and sat in the very cheapest seats, miles from the stage, using the opera glasses provided for sixpence in the slot. It was very difficult to get tickets, and we often queued all night.

I kept lots of other theatre programmes, too, but decided to throw them out when I discovered them in an attic at my parents’ house many years ago. Now I wish I’d kept them.

I’ve binned virtually everything bar degree certificates etc. There is still a huge box of photos to deal with. And much more. Honestly think next generation do not want to inherit this load of memories. They have their own to make.