Hi there Debbie.....and others facing this same situation. I sold my home in the CA mountains very quickly. Even with a closure extension, I only had 3 days to completely remove everything that had accumulated over the 23 years I lived there. My friends were amazingly helpful. I had owned a contemporary art gallery so the entire house was pretty well detailed.

We had been at the Mayo Clinic for 30 days of proton therapy for my partner. That left us 3 days to evacuate completely. So......when I saw a couple of friends going through the jewelry I was shocked and then I let go and celebrated that they would enjoy wearing it.

So what has been so difficult? Letting go......not just of the items but the memories. I was moving into a home in MN that had 5 bedrooms on 7 acres. What we did was make room for my very special items.....clothes, art pieces, and a few furniture items.

It has been five years since relocating. Finally, I feel totally at home. I think this was the only time I have appreciated a bit of memory loss. The only thing I cannot do.......is review the photos of the house taken by the photographer when it was listed on the market.

One other thing kept jumping into my mind. I was given a special shirt, embroidered with my name for raising money at an event I created called, "Christmas Eve for the Animals." We had a foster organization and a no-kill shelter. I decided to honor them on Christmas Eve for several years. They responded with gratitude.

The good news. My friend who was helping me go through closets, saw the look on my face when she held up the shirt. I knew I had to let it go ....it wasn't necessary. However, I missed it terribly. A couple of months ago, I confessed to my friend, and lo and behold, she told me she had it in her closet because she knew I really didn't want to let it go. Five years. And now it is back in my closet and I love wearing it.

Good luck with your transition. It is okay to let your heart rule once in a while.
Chris