Next up … “It's a family heirloom”
We all have them … Family Heirlooms. How did they become heirlooms? Who knows. Sometimes they have some monetary worth, but more often, it’s the sentimental attachment. The thing is, what one person is sentimental about may not be what someone else is.
Grandma’s china is a good example. You may have grown up dreaming about a time when you would have it in your cabinet, ready to set a beautiful table for formal dinners. Well, now formal dinners are infrequent, if they ever happen. The idea of sipping tea from delicate floral cups doesn’t line up with many people’s lifestyles.
That doesn’t mean that all those heirlooms are useless and need to go, far from it. What it does mean is that you should ask your family what they love of yours, what reminds them of their childhood, their family and of you. It’s important that these heirlooms find their way to someone who will appreciate them and not feel burdened by a bunch of stuff that means little to them.
The secret here is, if you’re the current owner of an unwanted heirloom, its ok to let it go. Ask your family if they want it, maybe someone will, then it’s in the right hands. If not, sell it or donate it. Simply passing along something to the next person in the family only perpetuates the sense of “burden”.
The other thing to talk about here is the timing of passing something along. If you can, share the favored heirlooms during your lifetime, so you can see the recipient enjoy it. Knowing its being loved and used is a joy you should share in.
Next up … “I used to love it”