I have just completed a long weekend on some tough duty. My sisters and I have been going through the possessions of someone we loved who passed away recently. Very few of us relish this job and yet it has to be done. At some point in all of our lives we will each go through our own private turmoil of this process of going from life to death.
Suddenly you have a flash of a frozen moment in time when a photo was taken when your loved one was wearing that outfit and you immediately you are transported back in time to the event.
Hours slip by and you find yourself mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted and it looks like you have barely gone through one closet or dresser. You look around at all that surrounds you and you feel exhausted even more.
Days roll by and slowly one life is divided into donate, sell, and “I’ll take that…..” It seems so impersonal and so disconnected.
What will your loved ones do with the things you leave behind?
May I make a bold suggestion that you look at all that weighs you down and begin now to give away, or to sell those things which are no longer used, no longer needed or no longer of any value to yourself?
How many pairs of shoes can you actually wear? If you haven’t worn them in a year, realistically YOU WON’T! So give then to someone who will!
How many sets of cookware can you really use in the course of any given week? The answer is: ONE PAN AND ONE SKILLET, now that is my guess, but when I am home alone, I rarely drag out all the other gadgets and designer skillets, choppers, containers, accessories that I have to cook just for myself.
If you are lucky enough to receive great gifts from those who love you and you really can’t use another crystal vase or 19″ frying pan, then give it away, donate it to a shelter, or to your local firehouse.
I say all this to say: Do your loved ones a break and declutter and discard those items now so they don’t have to do it for you when you are gone.
There will plenty of other items which they will want to pour over like family albums, treasured keepsakes, family heirlooms and such. Those are the things that draw loved ones closer.
