Now that it is September, I have less than a month until the estate sale. I could not be more anxious to put all of this behind me. Although the sale preparation has allowed me to mentally process everything, it is a very emotionally draining process. For that reason, I'm looking forward to October!
Since starting on this task back in May, I've learned a lot about how to approach the process of clearing out a house. One thing I've tried to do is to figure out which task would give me the most relief if it were checked off my list, and focus on that task next. For me, one of the tasks plaguing me was dealing with my mom's holiday items.
Being a sentimental person, holidays have always been hard for me but when my mom passed away, they became exponentially more difficult. As a result, it has been very painful for me to look through her holiday decorations and I was dreading seeing them out on display at the sale. I saved a few of my favorite items, like her huge set of holly dishes...
and boxed up the rest for the auction.
Then one day the auction guy told me that holiday stuff doesn't sell well, and I couldn't imagine seeing my mom's beloved decorations languishing at the sale. The thought of no one wanting them made me sick.
So I contacted a small local thrift shop which supports the hospice system and found out they gladly accept holiday decorations. I've donated a lot of household items to this store in the past and feel really good about taking Mom's leftover stuff there.
I took the opportunity to sort through all of my own holiday items (how did I get so much stuff?) and, after keeping many of my mom's decorations, I pared back my own decorations by 50%. My SUV is full of very nice holiday things which will soon find a new home.
On the day of the sale, I won't have to look at those holiday decorations. They'll already be on their way to new homes. This makes me feel better already!
jp
