Just starting to sort memories? Try this.

In recent posts I’ve shared two of my videos on organizing memorabilia:

How to sort memorabilia and How to create a memory closet.

If you still feel overwhelmed after watching these, consider doing something like you see pictured here. Believe it or not, this is somewhat of an “after” shot...

What you’re looking at is a basement bookshelf belonging to two clients of mine in their 80s. As we waded through a basement full of theirs and their kids’ things that for decades had been thrown down there, I started to place photos and mementos on this bookcase that we had emptied. Over the weeks as the floodwaters of basement clutter receded, the bookcase filled with memories. 

They came to trust that if I or they unearthed a memory during an organizing session, it could ONLY be here. This bookcase became a safe place to tuck away what ultimately were the most priceless and irreplaceable of anything we found in that basement. As far as I know, it still looks like this. It’s nowhere near the final result of this memory closet from my video, but it is ready for that next step when they are!

Do you or an aging parent have enough old photos and memories to warrant a designated space like this? Do you have a bookcase or small closet that could start to receive these types of things before you’re ready for a 2nd pass? Please share in the comments!