A sentimental object deserves a place where you can enjoy it, not only protect it.

Precious things often end up somewhere you never look. The good china, the letters, the ring from a grandmother go into a box at the top of a wardrobe where nothing can damage them and nobody can see them either, which means the thing is preserved and its meaning is not. Protection and pleasure are pulling in opposite directions.

Take one kept treasure out of storage this month and put it where you pass it daily. Use the cup, hang the photograph, wear the ring on ordinary days. A small risk of wear is a fair price for actually having the thing in your life.