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Why do we love our toys?

Shelley

As adults do we ever outgrow our love of toys?  Some of us adults tend to treasure how much joy our toys brought us in our youth so we hang on to them – or we collect them to make it more legit to hang on and consume spaces and shelves in our homes.  The other choice is to discard as we outgrow, and let the memories fade as we replace with them higher tech toys?

It’s a toss-up for me on what toys to keep or throw.  Sentimentality about them gets me every time.  Sigh…

Besides my camera, which is my all-time favorite toy, I have a few others I decorate with just for fun.  On my bookshelf in my office are what I’d call toys.

Books, books, and books are treasured toys of mine.  I put a moratorium on buying physical books unless I absolutely love them.  Now I have a Kindle instead.  I do love that new toy, even if I struggle at times with my strong desire to flip over the tips of paper pages.  I miss being able to do that with my Kindle, especially when I adore a thought shared by the author of the book.

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On top of one of the piles of my favorite books sits an adorable little bear with a blue bow.  The books he sits on I keep because I enjoyed reading them and have re-read them many times.  That is why they deserve to stay prominently placed on my shelf.

The bear, well, he gets to stay because he’s a bear that reminds me of bittersweet memories of my mom.  She adored bears.  This soft cuddly guy was in the gift basket from my cousin when my mom passed away.  I almost didn’t keep him because of redolent thoughts that take me back to the day of her funeral.  He arrived into my life the day I said goodbye to Mom.

I prefer to keep him out of respect of what his newness means – he wasn’t hers, he’s mine – and his presence on my shelf coaches me to continue on and remember to grow and love new things about life.  The comforting message he continues to send to me from a cousin about my mom’s lovable bear hugs has won my heart and a special spot on my shelf.

Post inspiration from RDP#75-Blue and Tuesday Photo Challenge – Toys

PS – We all benefit from understanding our why we do what we do and why we keep what we keep.  What about you, do you agree, and if not, why?  If you do agree, tell me more about what treasured toys you keep and why you do?  Have you read Simon Sinek’s Start with Why?  Did you like it?  

 

Published by Shelley

Letting my quirk out one post at a time.

25 thoughts on “Why do we love our toys?”

  1. I have not read that book, but I do keep some of my favorite books around all the time. I collect Koalas and have them all over the house.

  2. Great post! I do think there’s value in holding on to a few sentimental items. I have a couple of things dating back to my childhood and keep a few of my children’s things…but I also think that learning to let go of “stuff” is important. The memories are still yours whether the item remains or not.

  3. A nice message, Shelley. With so many moves, I have items that generate memories from our time there. Often they are small. I also have something from each of my grandparents that brings back a comforting memory of them. I haven’t read the book.

    1. Thank you, Donna. I sometimes wonder if we moved often if we’d change our minds about what is important to keep or not. I think we would, so I’d agree with you about the need to keep small stuff. Happy beach walking – I loved your Row Your Own Boat post and the one before with your grandkids – they are lucky to have you as their grandma! xx

  4. We moved a lot when I was growing up. Outgrown toys had no place in the UHaul and were, in my opinion, ruthlessly tossed or given away. I did manage to keep my favorite doll, her clothes, and a set of dishes with cups and a teapot, as well as tiny pots and pans. My granddaughter has all of it now, and I rather suspect she’s outgrown it as she enters her teens. I love it that those bits and pieces have been treasured for three generations 🙂

    1. Aw, that’s so sweet that you were able to hang on to those treasured items. My mom did the same – I still have her doll, doll buggy, and clothes and her tea sets. My kids just admired them, never played with them. I think if they had played with them, maybe they’d be worn and tattered and on the get rid of list? Congrats on having toys that have made it 3 generations! 🙂

  5. Why do we keep what we keep? That is the question! The story of my life a couple of years ago – struggling to sift out the keepers when moving from a home of almost 37 years. That also inspired my blog! I took photos of some things to remember them – not enough space being the hurdle.
    Books. Oh my, that was the hardest. Hundreds went to the library, the local children’s community clinic, yard sales and donations. Even so, I still have a 6 foot high bookshelf filled with what made the cut. Letters, journals, diaries and – especially photos – also came with us to the new much smaller condo.
    This was a fascinating post, Shelley, and may spark ideas for me in the future.
    [One other thought – I did save a few representative books from my teens, twenties and so on. Interesting to see how tastes & interests change (or don’t change) over time.]
    I plan to follow your blog!

    1. I love to hear that “stuff you’ve kept and/or discarded” inspired your blog! Books…oh my, they are one of my toughest areas! I was blessed with a library of my mom’s (husband’s wife’s) books – I’ve had two sales, donated to the library twice, and we still have a lot of them left! Thank you for getting me on the books…again…! LOL! I appreciate hearing your thoughts, and thank you for the follow! Happy Blogging to you!!

  7. As you might have guessed, I still have lots of toys from my childhood, and my husband and I still collect dolls and stuffed animals when we see unusual types we’d like to add to our collection. Of course, all the toys have names.

    1. I’d like to say I’m surprised, but you’re right, I should know you do and I’m sure your collection serves a special purpose and most definitely adds to your creativity. 😉

  8. I like to keep all sorts of stuff for the memories. I have lots of toys my girls had who are now in boxes and one day they will get them all back.

  10. I do like keep things of past with me because they remind me about what I was and what I went through. The bear cute, by the way 🙂

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