The Things We Keep

Throughout our lives we collect things. A t-shirt from a concert, a souvenir from a trip, a gift from an important person, or anything else that speaks to you at one time or another.

We collect items that are meaningful to us, in the words of Marie Kondo, some things can “spark joy” in our lives and those are worth keeping. For those of us that are fortunate, those items can pile up. It's possible to be overflowing with joy. It's not a bad problem to have, but sometimes you have to let go a little to make room for the new memories you make. 

When we are fortunate, these items start to accumulate and pile up. You never question their presence because these items belong in your life. It can be easy to carry these things from place to place, for your important memories to turn into clutter.

There comes a time in life where you have to decide what’s most important and prioritize it. Deciding what to keep isn’t always easy, but in the end, there is clarity in cleaning out the cobwebs.

You don’t need to become a minimalist and throw it all away, sometimes it’s important to take a look around and evaluate what you have. Focusing on the important things and letting go of some things that may not spark as much joy as you once thought. Like weeding the garden, getting rid of a few things to let the important pieces breathe and create space for new growth.

When it was time to renovate the kitchen, these homeowners wanted to do so in a way to create a path forward. In addition to the painstaking process of deciding which items of joy to keep, they paid careful attention to the design. There is a dedicated area for snacks for the grand kids and the cabinetry is setup to easily access items as they grow older.  All of the lower cabinets are pull outs. There is a Pull Out Tray Divider, Pull Out Spice Rack and more. This makes items easier to access, instead of having to rummage around the back of a cabinet to find something, everything gets pulled out and can be seen in the light.

This home is full of the memories of a lifetime and then some. Collections that continue from kids to grand kids. The funny thing about life is that is doesn’t stop. There is always going to be more to collect and new joy to find. Create a space to let it happen.