Death Cleaning|Excuses

The Challenge of Death Cleaning

I am not a hoarder — more of a discerning, but slightly sentimental collector

Actually, not my book collection — but could be if I was left unchecked. Photo by Eugenio Mazzone on Unsplash

So why does the mere thought of cleaning out cupboards make me anxious?

There are no piles of Kate Spade handbags, designer jeans, or Jimmy Choo heels lurking in my wardrobe. I do not own five sets of dinnerware. I do not even have much in the way of Christmas decorations, and only a handful of ornamental corn and imitation acorns to celebrate Thanksgiving. But I might be guilty of hanging on to stuff others prefer to discard.

My excuse?

I’ve moved a lot. At least 17 rounds of packing and unpacking of all my worldly possessions since college, including four international moves. My family and friends are spread around the globe. So many of the possessions I’ve picked up along the way have taken on a greater significance than they might have if the giver of the item, or place of purchase, were still next door.

I’ve been practising these lines as my husband looks askance at my office shelves, groaning under the weight of outdated guidebooks and embossed certificates of our kid’s kindergarten prowess. His desire to streamline our accumulated memorabilia has been heightened by the recent loss of his…