Throw it out

Punxsutawney Phil predicted on Groundhog’s Day that we will have six more weeks of winter, but that doesn’t stop anyone from reaching deep into their closets to take out their warm-weather wear, observing each piece and dreaming of days where the lows were above 60 degrees.

For some, memories that took place in spring or summer might play in the back of their minds. Others might hold on to a particular top or pair of shorts and remember a time when they were wearing said article of clothing, smiling as they relive that moment.

Some have trouble parting with clothes that remind them of positive memories and times in their lives when they were at their best. But over time, they age, go out of style or do not fit anymore, making them obsolete in a wardrobe.
The emotional attachment toward clothing makes it hard to get rid of. We sometimes equate losing the item that reminds us of a particular time or event to losing memories.

More often than not, an article of clothing can resemble our former selves. Looking at an old pair of pants or a jacket reminds us of when we were thinner, had more hair, were in love or were more successful. By keeping these items, even though they might have faded or become a moth buffet, we hope to hold on to memories of that person forever, or perhaps hope to someday be the person we once were.

But it’s time to be more realistic – clothes are not memories. If it’s unwearable, throw it out. If it hasn’t been worn in the last year, donate it. If you’re keeping clothes as motivation to change, just change already.

A&E’s “Hoarders” displays the most extreme examples of this thought process. The show investigates the homes of those who have held on to so many objects from the past that it makes it difficult to function in the present. 

Mothers keep a death grip on baby clothes that their 25-year-old daughter wore decades ago, while men cry over their raggedy, mud-stained T-shirts worn when they were in shape and playing football in the backyard. The thought of losing these, along with other items in their houses, incites denials, arguments and emotional breakdowns.

When people watch this show, they might find it hard to believe how others could care so much about what is simply “stuff,” when in fact everyone does this on some scale.
We hold on to jeans that are too tight and hope that it motivates us to lose 10 pounds or keep an ancient scarf from an old, old friend because we want to remember that person.

Ridding yourself of these items doesn’t mean you’re erasing the memories they symbolize, and it needs to happen if they’re adding clutter to your life and closet.
And if you’re still holding on to those butterfly hair clips that were popular in third grade, get rid of them – for everyone’s sake.