a keepsake for letting go

Dear

Pocket Watch,

First Art Purchase,

Fishing Rod,

Favorite Childhood Toy,

Wedding Dishware,

Grandma's Cookie Jar,

Some things you have to let go of...
the memory shouldn't be one of them.

Dear Thing is a guided journal for letting go 
of sentimental items, while preserving their stories.

The journal is coming soon!

Moving? Start thoughtfully...

Download our Thoughtful Move Checklist  to help you decide what stays, what goes, and what deserves a second story.

It's our gift to you—free until the Dear Thing Journal launches.

THE IDEA

Some things you can let go of. 
The memory shouldn't be one of them.

Every object you own carries something—a memory, a season, a version of your life. Dear Thing gives them
somewhere to live so the object can be released.

1

Photograph it

Take a photo of the object. It doesn’t need to be perfect, just personal.

2

Tell its story

Write about why it matters. Who gave it to you? Where did it come from? What memories come to mind? The story is what transforms an ordinary object into something unforgettable.

3

Keep the memory

Whether you keep or let go of the object, the story stays, preserved for you, your family, and future generations.

Sample pages inside the Dear Thing journal.

INSIDE THE JOURNAL

Every object has a story... this is where it lives.

Each page invites you to photograph a treasured object you're letting go of and say what only you can say about it — the memory it carries, the thought it sparks, the feeling it stirs.

Pages from the Thoughtful Move Checklist

INSIDE THE CHECKLIST

Before the boxes, 
there are decisions.

Our room-by-room checklist helps you work through a downsizing move thoughtfully — from what to keep and donate to the things that deserve a story before you let them go. Email me the checklist!

WHO WE ARE

A family bond turned into a shared purpose.

Although we were both born in California, when we were children our parents moved to Stromsburg, Nebraska—a small farming community where we learned the importance of heirlooms like Kim’s grandmother’s handmade quilts or Paul’s dad’s handcrafted toy soldiers.

I once told Kim I wanted to live my life so minimally that, on a moment's notice, I could pack up and be out of my place in 24 hours. Kim would just laugh, knowing it would be impossible with kids who not only had all of their toys, pictures, books, clothes, and furniture they loved but who blessed me with so many wonderful reasons to acquire the things that really "make a house a home."

Years later, due to a medical emergency, I needed to move my mother to an assisted-living facility near me in LA. Having to make decisions about what to keep, donate, sell, or gift from her...

I once told Kim I wanted to live my life so minimally that, on a moment's notice, I could pack up and be out of my place in 24 hours. Kim would just laugh, knowing it would be impossible with kids who not only had all of their toys, pictures, books, clothes, and furniture they loved but who blessed me with so many wonderful reasons to acquire the things that really "make a house a home."

Years later, due to a medical emergency, I needed to move my mother to an assisted-living facility near me in LA. Having to make decisions about what to keep, donate, sell, or gift from her home, I suddenly saw that my mother's belongings weren't just things; they were a life, and I struggled with letting some things go.

Kim was instrumental in packing up Mom's condo while I managed Mom's care and transition to LA. And when it was all over, Kim came to me with the idea for Dear Thing. I recognized instantly it would not only help so many people through one of life's biggest transitions, it would make it possible for me to be able to pack up my place in 24 hours. I was in.

—Paul

Continue Paul’s story Show less
Dear Thing founders Kim and Paul, cousins whose family experiences inspired a guided journal for preserving memories.

At 18, I left home for college in Southern California, then moved across the country to Washington, D.C., and eventually settled in San Francisco. Each transition meant deciding what could come with me—and, more importantly, what couldn’t.

At the time, I thought I was simply letting go of things, trusting that the memories would stay safely tucked away in my mind and heart.

Years later, after raising three children who have now grown into lives of their own, volunteering with people at the end of their lives, and helping elderly family members...

At 18, I left home for college in Southern California, then moved across the country to Washington, D.C., and eventually settled in San Francisco. Each transition meant deciding what could come with me—and, more importantly, what couldn’t.

At the time, I thought I was simply letting go of things, trusting that the memories would stay safely tucked away in my mind and heart.

Years later, after raising three children who have now grown into lives of their own, volunteering with people at the end of their lives, and helping elderly family members through major life transitions, I realized those objects had never been just things. They were the connection to our memories—the physical way we hold onto the people, places, and moments that shaped us.

—Kim

Continue Kim’s story Show less

Dear Thing grew from this realization: we don’t keep objects because of what they are—we keep them because of the stories they hold. Together, we lived through the experiences of helping our own family members through major life transitions and the process of letting go. And now, we want to support you through this major life transition as you support your loved ones. With this in mind, we have created a way for you to preserve what matters most, even as you let go.

May these pages bring peace, gratitude,

and a renewed connection to what truly matters.

FAQs

Your digital download includes everything you need to begin: a gentle introduction to creating your journal, 66 pages designed to preserve memories, photographs, and family stories, plus additional blank journaling pages for whatever surfaces along the way. It also includes the Thoughtful Move Checklist, our practical companion guide for downsizing and life transitions — so you have both the reflective and the practical side of letting go in one purchase. If you're not ready for the full journal yet, the Thoughtful Move Checklist is also available on its own as a separate download.

Not quite yet, but it's coming! We're currently working on a printed, spiral-bound edition of the Dear Thing Journal and will make it available as soon as it's ready. In the meantime, join our waitlist and we'll let you know the moment printed copies are available.

You will receive a confirmation email with a link allowing you to download the file immediately. If you have any issues and need support please contact us via email at
dearthingjournal@gmail.com

Yes—research shows it measurably does. A study published in the Journal of Marketing by researchers at Penn State and Ohio State found that people who were prompted to photograph a sentimental item before donating it gave away 15–35% more of their belongings than people who weren't prompted to take a photo first. The reason: what people are actually attached to isn't the object itself, but the memory and sense of identity tied to it. A photograph lets you keep that memory intact even after the physical thing is gone—which is the whole idea behind capturing a photo and a story for each dear thing, rather than just the object.
Source: Winterich, K., et al., Penn State News summary — "Taking pictures of sentimental goods may help people declutter, donate more," psu.edu

Because putting an experience into words—a practice psychologists call expressive writing—has been shown in over 100 studies to measurably improve emotional and even physical health. The research, pioneered by Dr. James Pennebaker at the University of Texas at Austin, found that people who wrote about emotionally significant experiences for just 15–20 minutes over a few days showed lasting benefits, including reduced distress and improved wellbeing, compared to people who wrote about neutral topics. The theory is that writing helps turn a scattered memory into a coherent story—which is easier for your mind to file away peacefully instead of carrying around unresolved.
Source: Baikie, K.A. & Wilhelm, K. (2005), "Emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing," Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, Cambridge Core

Yes—naming an emotion tends to calm it down, not intensify it. UCLA neuroscientist Dr. Matthew Lieberman's research on "affect labeling" found that when people put a feeling into words, activity in the brain's amygdala (the region driving emotional reactivity) actually decreases. In other words, writing "this made me feel proud" or "this still makes me sad" isn't just descriptive—it's doing real emotional regulation in the moment. That's one reason a guided prompt asking "what does this item carry for you?" can feel calming rather than stirring, even when the memory itself is a difficult one.

Source: Lieberman, M.D., et al. (2007), "Putting Feelings Into Words," Psychological Science, UCLA

Yes. Multiple studies have found that handwriting produces stronger memory retention and faster recall than typing, largely because it's slower and more cognitively demanding—your brain has to work harder to form each letter, which deepens how the memory gets encoded. A 2023 EEG study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that handwriting activates significantly more brain connectivity related to learning and memory formation than typing does. That's part of why Dear Thing is designed as a physical, handwritten keepsake rather than a digital note or app—the act of writing by hand is doing real cognitive work, not just recording information.

Sources:
● Frontiers in Psychology (2023), "Handwriting but not typewriting leads to widespread brain connectivity"
● Psychology Today, "Why Handwriting Is Better for Your Brain Than Typing"