What to do about all those cards?

 (source) Maybe this is what I should have done with all those cards.

I think I just unpacked my last box...well at least the boxes in the house, never mind the garage is full of them. And do you know what was in that box? Cards. Yes, bunches and bunches of cards.

Cards from my bridal shower, cards from my wedding day, cards from my baby shower, cards from my grandma for my 10th birthday. I couldn't help but ask myself, why on EARTH did I keep all of these cards?

No, really, why did I keep all of those cards. Two whole boxes of paper tied in sweet bundles and secured with satin bows or twine. Sweet, but not practical. When am I ever going to look at them again? I suppose, I thought my children, or  perhaps my grandchildren, would like to look at them some day. It took me a moment, but then I got over that thought and realized what is more important are the memories associated to those events, not the cards.

Well, you know what I did? I recycled them. I kept a few that were meaningful like the touching letter from my grandmother to me on my wedding day, and the last sweet note to my son from my grandfather before he passed away. I retained a few to make Christmas ornaments and holiday decorations. But the others? I posted them on freecycle for someone else's crafting or gift-giving needs. Within a few short hours they were out of my house. And, oh did it feel good!

What do you do with all of the cards you receive for special events? Keep them? Toss them? Something else?