General Chat

I have a large box of greetings cards going back decades. I decided to go through them and throw most away. But I can't bring myself to part with them.
The hand made cards from when kids and g.kids were small. Beautiful xmas, birthday and mothers day cards from my husband and son. Sympathy cards, leaving and retirement cards with all my old pals names on

So they were all catagorized and put back in the box.
Some friends have said to bin them all but I can't as there are so many memories in that box.
I dont think I am alone in this or am I?.

No I am in he same boat as you. I have a draw under my bed and it is full of cards, some that were sent to me when I had my first baby and he is 52 yrs old now!
I keep saying I will get rid of them because when anything happens to me my sons will have to throw them out.But i keep putting them back so I feel exactly as you do.

Leni

Glad I'm not alone then Leni
Same as you with the fact that they will be left for a family member to get rid of. There again my home is full of "stuff" that I can't throw but to someone else is a load of rubbish :-D :-D

Although I do keep a few cards in the main I now throw them away

HOWEVER, I do have a box of cards of my mothers from her wedding and my birth along with some 1950's wrapping paper - how on earth could I throw any of that away <3

Oh Barbara the times I have got my collection of cards and letters that I have collected over the years out. I sit and read through them, cannot bear to throw one away, so they all go back in the box, well ok boxes.

Carol :-D

How fabulous PP to have the cards from your mums wedding.
Reminds me when I was little and asked my mum about her marriage etc and didn't get much feed back. After researching I know why LOL

Not alone then are we Carol. I shall soon be on my second box too
:-D :-D

I must be very unsentimental, I throw my cards away. The only one I have kept are the Sympathy ones and a Father's day card my daughter embroidered. However I do have decorations from several anniversary cakes.

Sheila

I,ve got a "Shredder" works well and the remains make good kindling for the fire. :-D :-D

Oh no Merlin dont say that

I also have a shredder just for unloved stuff ie bills etc.
After they are paid of course ;-)

Lol I am not alone then, problem is my Mother did the same & I was the one left to clear her papers etc , I could not throw letters from her brothers during ww2, news paper cuttings relating to family or happenings in the village, I did give my sisters the cards/letters they had given her, but otherwise they have joined mine. I now have a cupboard full.

:-D

They,re only Cardboard Etc Barbs, Remembering the folk who sent them is better,especially toasting them with a glass of malt. :-D :-D ;-)

Barbara, by now you will realise that you are not alone....we all hang on to things which carry meaning and sentiments for us. (Carol I am in the same boat as you, having inherited from a hoarder!)

Amongst the tons of stuff I inherited includes my g.grandparents parlour clock. It is a big heavy thing which I can hardly lift and it now lives on the floor of my lounge behind the settee!
It's not valuable and it's not beautufl, but to me it is a treasure which holds many lovely memories. It sat on my grandmother's mantlepiece for as long as I can remember - how could I part with it?

All well and good Merlin, but what if they are letters or items that grandparents you never had the chance to know left, suppose it depends just how sentimental one is.

Carol :-)

How sad that it sits on the floor,its got a lot of History with it no doubt,check it out and see if it has a "French Movement" and get it working and placed in a nice spot.you never know,you may come to like its comforting tick or sound of the chimes(If it hs them. :-D :-D :-D

How can one be expected to remember all the lovely things from family and friends from years ago. I open a card and it all comes back.

The other day at a neighbours, she showed me letters from her dad that he sent to her and her mum during the war. The writing was so tiny and she explained that all letters were photographed then reduced in size to aid the postage from Cairo. How fab was that :-D

have my retirement cards, my son's christening cards, 21st birthday keys, stack of postcards going back over fifty years - from family members and a pile from my Dad when he went on a trip round the UK - also one from my Dad's brother who ws killed in WW1 - he wrote a card to his Mum [my gran] and signed it "your loving son, Jack - few years later he was shot in a field in France

I have a couple of the old type scrap books, in one all our wedding cards, in the other all the birth congrats cards for our two children. I also have a large pile of cards from me to him and him to me, I also have some of the Mothers day, Nana and granddad cards we have received. I keep some bin some but don't keep any other than ours to each other and from children/grandchildren. I have a few of my own first birthday cards (Oh forgot engagement cards and letters from my Grandmother and aunt). I also have a few retirement cards and cards for when I left my work in Bedfordshire and moved her and when I left one department here and went to another. Yep, a lot of cards, mostly in an old cabin trunk. But when all is said and done the kids will just put them in the recycling, although I bet they won't resist reading them first.

I have one letter written to my Mum by my Dad when he was away for over a year in the RN. Love the way he starts it "My darling girl" so 30s! :-) :-)

Its lovely reading all your collections of memories
I have also got a cupboard full of my mums ornaments etc and some out on show.
I am still using some of her kitchen equipment. Bought an all dancing all singing grater but its at the back of the cupboard as I still use her old one and she died in 1983.
.Its just the way it is. Every now and again I say right! I am having a clear out, get it all out and then put it all back. My OH says if you dont want to part with it all then dont.
He might have a moan if he is the one left to get rid of it all :-) :-)

My OH says if I go before him he is hiring a skip. :-D

I wish I had kept mine and some inherited ones, but alas I threw them away, much against my better judgement at the time, but Hubby said they are junk and not to leave them for our son to have to go through and chuck, or not.

I bitterly regret that now.