... there is nothing I own (that I can think of) that I expect my kids to keep after I am gone. I was reading someones post about cleaning out 3 generations of "stuff" from a relatives house, and how you should think about the people left behind when you collect things, store things, save things for a special day.
So I have some collections. Vintage glassware and some other things. None of those things need to be kept - hear me kids? I would hope there would be a big garage sale where it would be sold to people who would be thrilled to get a deal or excited to add something to their own collection. Okay, or might be happy to find stuff to turn around and sell on eBay. And in the end - if the stuff doesn't sell - stick it all in a box and drop it off at the local thrift store.
It's only stuff. I do not want to cause anyone more work than is necessary, no rending of garments or anything, but these things make me happy right now. So if my kids have to clear it out I can only make one promise - I won't leave so much that it's like cleaning out a hoarder's house. No, really. I promise. There will be floor space to walk on and nothing stacked to the ceiling.
As far as I am concerned, I won't be going anywhere for a long time so no one will have to worry about anything - anytime soon. But with my Mom's passing she left some things, like artwork she created that none of us quite knows what to do with. And there is guilt involved in finding a new home for it. I mean - Mom, your paintings are quite good but I just don't have a place in my house for native American art. Sigh-h-h-h.
So I will try to only leave things my kids will think are crap and won't have any guilt about getting rid of. Or something. Just sayin'. Isn't is nice how I think of them?
Besides, the real hoard will be quite easy for them to dispose of because it's all on my computer. The real hoard is images. Thousands and thousands of images ... for the same reason many hoarders give for collecting all the stuff they do - I might need them someday. Huh? I know, right?
Never said I was normal.
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Since cleaning out my mother-in-laws house, I know exactly what you mean. It made us both start looking at the things we were keeping and say, "do we really need to hang on to that?" We don't want our kids to have to deal with what we just went though at all. We each found one thing that we associated with her and that is what we kept. That was all we felt we needed to keep her in our minds. She will always be in our hearts.
ReplyDeleteI had to clear out my parents house rather swiftly a few years back and it was hard, but it taught me to realise stuff is just stuff.. I could have made more money out of it but we had to move fast for various reasons and let it go too cheaply.. but never mind.
ReplyDeleteThe only things I hung onto are the photos I found..
Photos and perhaps sentimental jewelry are what I would hang on to!
ReplyDeleteIn the last couple of years I've been wondering about who will go through my stuff when I'm gone since I don't have kids. So I've consciously not been accumulating stuff and instead have been building memories.
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