Bereavement Support Group

I have been going thru our family picts to get them organized by year starting in 1913 (96 years), and i am making a scrapbook for each of the children and grandchildren of all the old picts before our time up thru my parents getting married then each book has personal picts of them and mom and dad, I have started picking out moms favorite shirts to make covers of each book, that way you can look at the outside and get a memory of her. - I also still go into her room and smell her perfume each day it helps me feel connected to her it's been 9 mo.

I feel for you...it's been 4 years and I recently had to go through my son's things, it was hard. Very hard.

I do not think that there will ever be a good time to go through a loved ones belongings. My parents just asked that my Ex-SIL give them the boxes to go through. Each year they go through his stuff a give a little away, however they begin to remember the good times with him rather than his death. Take your time, ask him to give you some of the items and when you are ready, go through her items slowly or wait to do so. You only know when the time is right for you. For my Ex-SIL it was within 3 months after his death.

My wife died last June 24th. She was 75. Since her death my three girls have gone through her clothes and sorted them out so that the very good ones were taken to a Hospice store and the rest placed in plastic bags that are still downstairs because I feel guilty about sending them to the Salvation Army or some such like. I took all her shoes to the hospice people an they were glad to have them and said they would look after her other clothes as well. I may do that. Some of my wife's jewelry was taken by the girls but much remains. Sooner or later everything of hers but a few keepsakes will have to go but I do not have the heart to move on now. I think the hospice idea is a good one, if you have a similar organization in your home town or city.