Unexpected Grief with Spring Cleaning

    Spring is almost here, and with it comes the renewal of warmer weather and longer days. When you start your Spring cleaning, you may never know what you’ll find hidden in that closet, or down in the basement corner. For many people, it is common to find mementos of lost loved ones during big home clean ups like Spring cleaning. You may uncover old photo albums or favorite trinkets of your family members who have passed. What’s important is what you do afterwards.

Finding Mementos

    Spring cleaning is an important way to shake off the harsh winter and prepare for better weather. But you may end up uncovering some old memories. You may want to pour over every photograph, every shirt still in the closet. It is good to take some time to look over these, and appreciate the memories you have of your loved one.

Clearing Out Possessions

After the death of a loved one, it can become difficult to get rid of a lot of their stuff. Their possessions can end up getting piled up, or getting lost in the house. It can be a hard thing to decide to throw out or give away your loved one’s things. Consider giving some of their possessions to family members, or their close friends. They may be able to get more use out of them, and can have something that keeps the deceased in their minds. You don’t have to get rid of everything. Try to keep some of their possessions that have a lot of meaning or use to you.

Donate Clothes

Clothing can be an especially hard thing to get rid of after a loved one passes, but it is often something that a family has in large quantities. Ask members of your family if they share a size with the deceased, and see if they would consider taking some of the clothes. The rest of them can be donated to local clothing drives. Giving some of your loved one’s wardrobe to a charity clothing organization can be a great act of kindness; and a good thing to do in memory of your loved one.

    The author of this post is not a professional therapist or counselor. For assistance in finding a grief counselor that is right for you, there are a number of resources out there. For our Grief Resource center, written by Dr. Bill Webster, click here.

For almost 50 years, Matthew Funeral Home has been serving the Staten Island community. We can help with almost every aspect of your loved one’s memorial service. Our family is here to serve yours, every step of the way.