“Just toss it!” is the rallying cry of these weeks. But some items we simply can’t bring ourselves to discard. 9 writers share

I was on a roll. My career as Keeper of Everything was over. I listened to classes on decluttering, read books on tidying, and was on a crusade, ruthlessly discarding every single sweater, book, paper, toy, and teddy that was no longer in use. (See? I was even following the revered Marie Kondo’s order of discarding: clothes, books, papers, komono/miscellany, and sentimental items.)

Then came the folder that held our family’s important documents: marriage certificate, birth certificates, deeds etc. I opened each paper, straightened it out, and put each in its own plastic folder, in ascending order of time.

2003: Certificate of Birth. Child’s Name: Time of Birth: Date of Birth: Gender: Country of Birth:

Was a birth certificate relevant if the child was no longer alive?