This morning, I wiped away a tear as I dropped off a bag of little boy overalls and toddler-sized clothes at a friend’s house. Both my boys wore these adorable outfits, got their pictures made in them, and made me a proud Mama. But it’s time to pass them along as hand-me-downs.

I’m trying to keep FlyLady’s rules for organization in mind as I prepare for Christmas. When I bring in something new, I need to get rid of something old. OK, so I brought home a whole trunk full of Christmas presents a couple of days ago. (A lady in the parking lot saw my full cart and actually said, “Looks like you’re a last-minute shopper this year!” Huh? There are still 12 days until Christmas!)

Since I brought home a load of new, I filled up my trunk to take out a load of old. It felt great to give the Salvation Army ladies my boxes of good, used clothing — just in time for someone else’s Christmas. (If I’d had time, I would have shopped there too.)

But the overalls. Oh my. The only way I could part with those was to give them to my dear friend whose son is a year younger than mine. I know she understands how sentimental they are to me. She smocks and sews, so she appreciates the little rompers and such. These are NOT practical for a little boy who is now potty trained and independent.

Hand-me-downs make the world go round. When you bless others with your old things, you’re decluttering your house to make room for new memories.

Still, it’s hard. And in writing about it here, hopefully I’ll preserve what matters more than stuff: the images in my mind of my little boys in their overalls. Mary treasured all these things in her heart. Now we modern moms can treasure them in our blogs.

(sniff. sniff.)