Little Pieces of the Past

I have a hard time letting go of memorabilia. I literally have boxes full of things that I'm holding onto for no other reason than they recall a specific memory, a time or a place that I want to hold onto.

Some of these things are worth keeping, like mementos from my time in Japan, and cards and letters from my grandparents and other relatives. But others are not, all the little drawings on the backs of receipts made by friends, my name tag from a former job and other mundane little items. I know I need to lighten the load and am fully able to pass on clothes and household goods we don't need. But for some reason I am having a hard time letting go of these things, even though I know there is no good reason to keep them. Call me sentimental, I guess.

Big Brother, who recently discovered the joys of throwing things out, cannot relate. He wants me to get rid of anything and everything that we don't use on a daily basis. Pictures, letters, greeting cards, his old toys or kid artworks all need to go, in his estimation. He made it clear he would even throw out half the furniture, too, if I let him. My attempts to explain why these sentimental things matter to me have failed to convince him.

I'm thinking I probably shouldn't bother to show him this handful of seashells I brought home with me from Florida, should ?