my mum died 5 months ago n I’ve got 6 suitcases of literally all her clothes and shoes in our garage. My dad wanted it all out before she was cold n my sister was gonna put it all in bin liners n dump on charity shop. I’ve decided to make my mum proud n wash n iron it all n take to two village charity shops. Here’s the problem, I need it n doing ASAP as it’s totally breaking my heart but the stuff that holds dear memories i dont know what to do with n know i cant part with. I dont even want it cut up n made into a blanket as i just wanna snuggle them all the time. My sis wants nothing same as my dad😭 I’ve off loaded some on women that were dear to my mum n I know they’ll wear them with pride but I’m broken inside😭
So sorry for your loss. It’s completely understandable that you don’t want to part with all your Mum’s clothes. What about finding a lovely container to store a few of her favourite items in for ever? Are you any good at needlework? Could you make some of her clothes into a memory cushion or quilt? I used my Mum’s chiffon scarves to make a cushion covered in roses. With my son’s clothes, I gave some to a charity but took photos of them before they went. I kept pieces that I liked my son wearing, such as a Christmas jumper and a suit. I also have a couple of shirts and tshirts that I myself wear, which makes me feel closer to him.
Dear @Rach1408 my heart goes out to you.
I had to sort through the whole of my mums property and possessions, so i know how heart wrenching it is, but I did it at my pace when i was ready - it took me around 18 months in total. 5 months is still really early days - do you genuinely need to do anything right now or can you just put those cases aside and leave it for a while? I know you say you need to do it because its breaking your heart, but letting these things go if you’re not ready isnt necessarily going to help. Can you maybe reduce things down to 2/3 cases that can be stored in a loft, or if you are so pushed for space could a friend keep hold of them for a while? When i had to sort through mums clothing, i first of all let go of anything that i had no emotional attachment to - items i’d never seen her wear, that i had no memory of. Then if i had 4 red jumpers, i thinned it down to the 1 red jumper i had the fondest memories of. But then the items i had put aside for charity, i didnt donate them immediately, i left them in a crate for several weeks, and would sometimes look through them again to check i was definitely happy with them before i finally let them go. So it was a very gradual process. Ive still got several boxes of stuff and one day i may get rid of more, but for now its not the right time.
As to what you do with the items, again you dont have to decide right now. For me i shall keep some items whole, like her furry dressing gown that i like to hug when im upset. But ive seen some beautiful memory animals made from clothing so eventually id like to get one of those made. And i absolutely agree with @Whydidhedie comment about taking photos of items - ive heard that apparently the brain reacts the same to seeing an photo of an item as you would if you had the physical object. Ive done that with lots of items that i knew i had no reason to keep - maybe one day i might compile them into a photobook.
Everyone grieves differently and just because your Dad and sister dont want these items, if they mean something to you then dont feel under any pressure to make hasty decisions. Thinking of you ![]()