Sunday, March 24, 2013

Sentimental value

1950s earrings
These were my late mother's favourite earrings! Every time I look at them or wear them I remember her and I remember two particular photos of her as a young woman, before I was born, looking very pretty and wearing those earrings. They are not worth much because they don't have the gold mark and the "diamonds" are just glass but I would be devastated if they were to get damaged, lost or stolen.

I could have chosen quite a few other items of sentimental value because you may as well know - I come from a long line of hoarders. My mother used to quote my grandmother or grandfather (I can't recall exactly) on the virtues of putting away stuff that was of no use in the present because it would one day be needed. She usually came up with this quote when my father or I wanted to declutter!

With the passage of time, I followed in her footsteps, so for me decluttering is something which never seems to get done properly. Moving house is a nightmare! When we moved from Zimbabwe, my father built two enormous crates that were filled with much of our stuff. A few years ago I inherited my parents' house and I still have too much clutter there. It's amazing how much a small family can accumulate over a period of 20 years!

It was only when I moved to the Algarve and lived in a rented, furnished house for the first year that I realised, to my great surprise, that I didn't miss most of the things I had left behind. 

The smallest things can hold the fondest memories!


To see what fellow bloggers attach sentimental value to, visit Jake´s blog.


15 comments:

  1. Hello Mara...I have not been visiting or commenting for a while...I have been sorry to miss your posts!
    Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful sentimental value...you are exactly right...the monetary value has nothing to do with what is most meaningful to each of us.
    I also appreciated hearing how hard it was for you to 'declutter'...I am always wishing I could...but my husband has collected many things and loves them...and, since I love him, they...and he...will stay.:) We had a 14 room house...and when we downsized to a 6 room home, it was extremely difficult to decide what to keep.

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    1. Thank you for dropping by. It is so hard to part with some things.

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  2. The earrings are lovely. These are the best memories.

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    1. Thank you. When I wear them I find myself checking on the clasp quite often.

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  3. Thanks for sharing Mara ,Beautiful entry for the topic :)

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  4. The earrings are lovely Mara and I's sure they must have great value to you even if they don't have much monetary value.
    I agree with you about the hoarding, whenever I move I also try to declutter, not with too much success though...I still have stuff in boxes in the garage, and we have been here 6 years, so obviously I don't need it at all!

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    1. There is so much that I don't need but I am finding it impossible to decide what to do about my parents' house.

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  5. Oh, they are gorgeous Mara. I love long earrings like that as well and I totally agree with you where the smallest things are concerned. Great post! :)

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  6. It is so hard for me to part with things that I've attached memories to. Lovely earrings.

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  7. A woman after my own heart, Mara. Lovely memory of your Mum.

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  8. Thanks for sharing you sentimental value.

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