Related To The Moving Post Below By Jon Ham

If your parents are still alive and are older, ask them to begin going through their belongings and giving away or donating some of their things. Approach it from the perspective of making sure the items go to the friend or relative your mom/dad intended to receive it.

My Mom recently died, and my brothers and I are faced with the sometimes overwhelming task of going through her house, and disposing of every single item. Some will be given to friends or relatives, some will be donated to Goodwill or The Salvation Army, a few furniture pieces might be sold if not claimed by a relative, and the rest will probably be put into a trash can.

It's one thing to move or dispose of your possessions. It's yours, and you have a reason for keeping things, even if others think the reason is weak. It is quite another, however, when the items belong to someone else, even someone as close as a parent. You never realize how much a person has until you have to touch/dispose of EVERY SINGLE THING.

Anyway, I'm not trying to be morbid or fatalistic, but if your parents have already thinned their belongings, or will do so soon, you'll be extremely grateful one day.