Marie Kondo starts the section off with words of wisdom, "No matter how wonderful the things used to be, we cannot live in the past. The joy and excitement we feel here and now are the most important." It is something that is hard for us to remember as a generation that lives behind a screen. Ms Kondo suggest that by handling each sentimental item and deciding what to discard, you process your past. That could not be truer for me. She also reminds us that we should not allow our past to keep us from missing new opportunities, relationships, and adventures. if you can't let go of mementos from a certain time period, you should look at the time and come to terms with it via the possessions.
One thing she reminds of us, that we are ALL guilty of is that your belongings, all of them, belong with you. Your parents house in not a memento haven even if they keep it that way. Free the space for your parents and free your own psych about the ghosts of you past that might reside there.
Leave photos for last. Whenever you find one, put them all in the same place so that you can go through them at the same time. There is only one way to sort photos. Take all the photos out of the boxes and albums and hold each one individually. This seems labor intensive, sort of like the books section, but remember how easy it was once you got going? Ms Kondo guesstimates that with the system that she has created, most trips or events can be summed up in about 5 pictures. Not always the case, but you don't need boxes upon boxes of photos. In many cases, the prints developed afterward have already outlived their purpose.
Go through your own photos now, not when you are old. That isn’t something your children should have to go through either. Enjoy them now.
Other things to point out from the end of the chapter summation: Don’t stock pile. It will just build up and you will never be sure how much you may or may not have. The author assures the reader that this is all worth it by saying, "As you reduce, your belongings through the process of tidying, you will come to a point where you suddenly know how much is just right for you." She suggest that you follow your intuition with how your home should be laid out and where and how things should live with in it. The fact that you own a surplus of things that you can’t bring yourself to discard doesn’t mean you are taking good care of them. In fact, it is quite the opposite. If you have too much, you can't be utilizing all the items in your home and that is disrespectful to your home and to the items involved. She states with confidence and encourages the reader: Believe what you heart tells you when you ask “Does this item spark joy?”
What I learned from Category 5:
I keep all the things. THAT is what I have learned. I have gotten much better than when I was a child about what to keep and what isn't needed. I think it had to do with losing people when I was young and it never being "necessary" to not keep everything I wanted to keep. I feel like that while going through things, I was in fact being able to go through my past. I got to "put it in its place" and I was able to let go of things (and, more importantly, people). I highly suggest this exercise, but DEFINITELY do this in the order Marie Kondo instructs.
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