If it was me, given that it’s older folks, I’d hold on to it a while longer because they probably had the same problem (figuring out what to do with the thing(s)). You’re keeping memories for them, and when they’re gone, you can let those things go if they don’t remind you of the person from whence they came.

Take a really nice set of pictures of all of that stuff and make memory collages of all of those collections. Then keep them in a book. “See, and this is the collection of grandmother’s stuff, I gave it to a poor student over by the university. She keeps cookies on the plate, and she uses the glassware with her…

It was especially hard for me to go through my bedroom at my mom’s house after I got married. I was wondering why it was so exhausting to me, until I realized, to my surprise, that it stirred up memories of my parents’ divorce.

Could you consider taking photos/scanning of all of the items so you can see them if you want to, but their physical presence doesn’t weigh on you? You could also have a friend dispose of the items so you do not have to be the one to dispose of them.

I've found that, for me, it's not keepsakes that weigh me down nearly so much as the general accumulation of stuff. If I had a closet full of keepsake tubs, that would be one thing. Instead, over the years, I've accumulated probably a literal ton of books, a bevy of miscellaneous electronics, random furniture, and a…

I'm sure I fall somewhere significant on the "hoarder spectrum" — I don't hold on to absurd things like trash, old newspapers, perishable items, dead animal carcases or any of the other scary thing you see on those TV shows. But I do hold on to a lot of other things (books, magazines, items from my adolescence, and…

I don't know why I didn't think of taking pics of certain things I have here. I have some pottery cups that a friend made for me in 2001. But that friendship has trailed off into nothing, while the cups remain.

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People complaining about being told to get rid of stuff or offering examples of old stuff you still use, this article is not for you. If you're happy with your accumulation, great. Enjoy it. Buy more. Whatever works.

Some of this is very sound advice. My mother and grandmothers were straight up hoarders, and in my late teens/early twenties I started getting that way, badly, and quickly. The death of my father when I was a teen made it very hard for me or my mother to let go of a TON of things. It gets so hard when you are also…

My Approach: If my house burnt down, what things would I really miss.