We talked about this topic before — that of clearing out and binning stuff as one ages and downsizes — and here’s yet another take:
The pain of downsizing has come as a complete shock. My life is etched into the possessions I’m having to cast off for ever.
…and the exposition of her situation follows, which ended when she didn’t de-clutter prior to downsizing, and is now facing life in a small overstuffed [sic] cottage.
I get that. I really do. But as Nadine Dorries worries about that issue, there’s another one: the pain of keeping shared stuff as a constant and sometimes bitter reminder of times long past.
At some point, though, you have to realize that regardless of sentiment, stuff is just stuff. And the part that isn’t understood is that once you’ve done it for the first time, the de-cluttering becomes progressively less hurtful.
And by the way: I covet her late husband’s “hand-forged tools”, even though I have neither space for, nor need of them. See how that works?