Today’s box offers a new challenge, as it involves paraphernalia from the desk of the younger daughter when she was in middle school, so that would have been, oh my goodness, nearly two decades ago. My wife and I worry that the daughter might have some sentimental attachment to some of the items, so we consult with her during the day. It turns out that she doesn’t have have much attachment to many of the items — but we do.
Box 3: Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023
Partial contents: A page of quite lovely postage stamps from Liechtenstein, purchased by the daughter during a visit to, well, Liechtenstein. Two coin banks (empty), one featuring Scooby-Doo and the other one depicting Patrick Starfish holding SpongeBob SquarePants. One Barbie doll. A binder full of Pokemon cards — we’re rich! (What’s that? OK, never mind.) Prize ribbons from the fair in Missoula. More dried-out gel pens than you can shake a stick at. Photos of favorite cats, no longer with us. A Shaun the Sheep backpack, from the Wallace and Gromit movies. An envelope we gave her when she graduated from fifth grade. We hope at one time it held a gift certificate to the mall in Missoula; now, it just holds $1.40 in change. But maybe we were cheap back then.
Disposition: It turns out that the only item that the daughter wants is the page of stamps. So many of the other items will be donated to favorite local thrift shops — but if you’ve ever found yourself thinking that a Scooby-Doo coin bank would be your first step to financial freedom, let me know, and it can be yours. The gel pens will be thrown away. The blank side of nonessential documents will be used in our new printer. (See the Jan. 2 entry.) But we’re not throwing away the ribbons from the fair — we’re not monsters. Cheap, sure, but not monsters.
All in all, today I got rid of a relatively large box — but wound up with a smaller box of keepsake items. It’s a partial victory, but it’s a sign that even more challenging boxes may be lurking.
If you’re coming late to the whole “365 Boxes” project, here’s the blog post that got it all rolling.
Smile. So glad you consulted your daughter first. Depending on type and condition, the Barbie doll may be worth something on ebay. Of course, posting it (with photo) would take more time than going through another box (smile).
Really excited to see this project, Mike…thank you for the terrific inspiration! Keep up the great work, and Happy New Year!!!
My daughter collected stuffed bears and other animals. When she wanted to get rid of them, I took them from her. They are in various parts of my office to give me a hug when I need it. Other items that the children have made have found a place to live on my desk and walls. It is hard to let them go.