Dear Annie: When keepsakes become hard to keep

Dear Annie: My husband and I are empty nesters, and we’ve begun the very slow process of downsizing our home. I wasn’t expecting it to be so emotional. Going through decades of family memories has been harder than I imagined. I just can’t believe how quickly time goes by. I admit I’m a bit of a hoarder when it comes to my kids. I still have their elementary school art projects, their Halloween costumes, baby clothes and more photographs than you could imagine. Some of it obviously needs to go, but some of it I can’t bear to part with. I don’t have room to keep it all. I’d hoped each of my three children would take what belongs to them. In my mind, who wouldn’t want a box of childhood memories? But each has told me they have no use for it and no space to store it, which breaks my heart a little. I’m not sure whether to keep pushing, find a way to take it all with me or let it go.

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