The article recounts a conversation between the author and a woman in a recycled clothing shop. The woman, a former psychologist, shares her insights on the emotional complexities of sorting through a deceased loved one's belongings. After the author reveals her own experience of cleaning out her father's house, the woman advises creating three distinct piles to manage sorting: one for items to discard, one for cherished keepsakes, and one for items yet to be decided upon. This structured approach helps balance different emotional reactions during grieving.
We had some experience with this when my mum died, and I had manically hunted for her letters as a way of preserving her.
The woman explained that before retiring, she'd worked as a psychologist, helping families mediate their differences while sorting through estates.
Her advice was to make three piles: one for what can be thrown out, one for what to keep, and one for the undecided.
Some of us are impatient and just want it done, while others have to handle every item before allowing anything to be binned.
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