Gave away 50 items in one weekend and felt weirdly sad

I did a big declutter push last Saturday and bagged up 50 things for donation, but instead of feeling light and free I actually felt kinda empty. The weird part was missing a chipped mug I never even used. Has anyone else felt strangely attached to junk after purging?

3 comments

3 Comments

violar3516h ago

Two YEARS for a broken lamp?" @quinna89 that really got me honestly.

quinna8917h ago

Yeah, I used to be one of those "just throw it away" people who never got the attachment. But I get it now. That chipped mug thing really hit me because I caught myself holding onto a stupid broken lamp for like two years after I realized I actually associated it with a specific memory. It's not really about the junk itself, it's about the little pieces of your past tied to them. I felt kind of stupid about it at first but now I think it's pretty normal to grieve stuff you've had for a while even if you never used it.

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marywilson14h ago

My friend had this beat up old wallet she kept for like six years after the stitching started coming apart. She told me it was because her grandma gave it to her right before she passed, and the leather had this smell that reminded her of her grandma's house. She finally threw it away when the lining ripped and her coins started falling out everywhere. She said she actually cried a little which sounds dramatic but I get it now after reading this. It's not really about the wallet being useful, it's about who gave it to you and what that piece of them means. I think we all have those weird little things we hang onto that other people would see as trash but mean something totally different to us.