What's Truly Worth Saving? Valuing Objects Across Generations

Dr. Eleanor Vance · 2026-02-09

How do we decide what's worth keeping and passing down? It's a question that hits home for anyone who's ever sorted through a parent's attic or wondered about their own accumulating possessions. Objects can feel timeless, connecting us to generations past, or they can become burdens we're not sure how to carry forward. I was thinking about this recently while listening to a fascinating conversation between Jack Russell Weinstein and Wellesley philosophy professor Erich Hatala Matthes. They were digging into that very question: why should we save things for posterity? What makes something worth preserving? ### The Weight of What We Keep We all have those items. The family Bible with generations of births and deaths recorded in shaky handwriting. The quilt your great-grandmother stitched during long winter nights. The set of china that only comes out for holidays. These things carry stories within them—they're not just objects, they're containers of memory. But then there's the other stuff. The boxes of papers we're afraid to throw away. The furniture that doesn't fit our homes but feels too significant to donate. The collections that meant everything to someone else, but just feel like clutter to us. That's where the burden comes in. ### Finding Value Beyond Sentiment So how do we place actual value on these things? It's not just about monetary worth—though that can be part of it. It's about asking deeper questions: - What story does this object tell? - Who would miss it if it were gone? - Does it represent something important about our family or community? - Will it have meaning to future generations, or is its significance tied only to us? Professor Matthes pointed out something that really stuck with me: sometimes we preserve things not for their practical use, but for what they represent. A worn-out tool might tell the story of a family trade. A simple piece of jewelry might symbolize a love story. These objects become touchstones for values we want to pass along. ### The Practical Side of Preservation Let's be real though—we can't keep everything. Space is limited, and sometimes our attachment to objects can become unhealthy. I've seen families struggle with this, holding onto things out of guilt rather than genuine connection. Here's what I've learned from working with people on these decisions: the most meaningful preservation often happens when we're intentional about it. We don't just accumulate—we curate. We choose what truly represents our story and let go of what doesn't. As one wise person told me, "Sometimes the most important thing we save isn't the object itself, but the story that goes with it." That's why I encourage people to write things down. Take photos. Record conversations. The physical object might not last forever, but its meaning can. ### Looking Toward Future Generations When we think about saving for posterity, we're really asking: what do we want our grandchildren's grandchildren to know about us? What pieces of our lives are worth carrying forward? It's not about creating a museum of our existence. It's about selecting those items that best represent our values, our struggles, our joys, and our connections. The wedding ring that survived hard times. The immigration papers that started a new life. The simple recipe card in a grandmother's handwriting. These choices become our legacy in physical form. They're how we whisper to the future, "This mattered. This was part of our story." So next time you're looking at something you've saved—or considering whether to save it—ask yourself: what's the real value here? Is it the object itself, or what it represents? Your answer might surprise you, and it might just help you decide what's truly worth saving.