Your father's possessions are just that, possessions. What makes him special has nothing to do with "stuff." Cherish his memories. You have those, if anything, they will compound and grow over time.

I have nothing tangible, that one can touch, from my mother. But I have everything that is important. So do you from your father.

Glad my parents are prettymuch minimalists, if living apart.. Spent a year & a half sorting, packing, burning, donating and ‘gifting’ what I’d accumulated in fifty years of life ..before moving across the nation. Occasionally in tears, and constantly depressed and distressed, the best I could do was figure ..I’m doing this for my children, so they won’t one day suffer the same pain…

Not much of a choice when you’re preparing a century farm for sale.. Still, ended up with Penske's largest moving truck ..filled to the gills.. headed across the nation. Now, just well sorted & stored memories

Unless you’d have wanted the farm, be relieved it’s being dealt with. I wonder how your mother’s holding up? If she’s like mine, she’s likely pleased to see things whittled down … if like my dad, and self.. fighting back tears. Don’t know if it’s a ‘guy thing’ to hang on to stuff, but getting rid of my children’s baby crib still haunts me.

Thanks for sharing that, though. I hope it’s not too painful for you … but as learned, there’s little one can do to stave off the inevitable..

Very hard thing my step mother did that with dad but was for spite

It must be hard for you...but your mother did what she knew was the sensible thing to do. They were only possessions, but very personal ones I know, but it’s the memories we hold in our hearts and heads that live on after we lose the ones we love, and you will always have them.

Always be in your memories, accumulated stuff means nothing. You leave the world with exactly the same stuff you entered it.

I am beginning the 'downsizing' process.