senior downsizing

Working with Seniors who are downsizing is a treat.  I get to hear stories about their families, personal mementos, special gatherings and trips, and even sometimes great love stories.  All these stories are typically sparked by a letter, or a single piece of paper, or a note on a calendar, or a photo.  The stories that are so special are not triggered by the blender or the tupperware or that 5th saucepan that they have stored deep in a lower cabinet and never use.  In my mind, there is a decisive difference that can clearly be made between what to keep and what to pass on or donate.  Many organizers use encouraging phrases such as, “do you love it”, “does it bring you great joy”, “when was the last time you used it”.  These are all great questions, and I would add that if it is a letter that tells a story that is much more difficult to discard than a pink dress you wore to your child’s wedding and will never wear again. More