Hi Sandi...
I think we all have been through this at one point or another, post lost. I'm currently trying to decide on a lot of this stuff myself.
Rob was a chef in his last career - other than his knives, I have piles of kitchen tools and things that I'm likely never going to use. I downsized our library of cookbooks (he had 200+) considerably - I'm finding even those I kept I often don't use.
I still have most of his CDs - old ones of bands he listened to in his 20's and 30's, some from Australia. I never listen to most of that kind of music - the kids don't want them, why keep them? Yet I find it hard to give/throw them away.
Pictures of his travels in Europe. Other that pics that he himself is in, they are places I'd rather GO to, than see photos of...they were taken long before I met him - I have no need for them.
I feel immobilized by the sheer volume of stuff. All the 'stuff' he left behind, which no one wants.
It's sad... is that all there is? just the stuff we leave behind, which no one wants?
One thing I found did help, was finding new homes for things with people who would appreciate them. The old cookbooks were offered to friends/family first - the rest to a local book sale which benefits our Children's Hospital. Australia memorabilia went to members of our local ex-pats club. Cricket (sport) memorabilia went to the team members he played with - they held a silent auction, and raised several hundred $ in donations for the hospital program where he was treated. Finding ways to benefit the community with his things helped me feel much better about letting them go.
Which reminds me - there's a local high school with a culinary specialty program - I wonder if they'd like the kitchen tools? :)

I find that giving it to someone who appreciates and shares the same passion for those activities helps.
Still cannot ho through the pictures, our letters , and cards to each other ; just stored them in a huge plastic containers.
Still have to so much that needs to be sorted out, and dealt with, but, keep myself away from the potential emotional derailing. The time will come. More likely I will be forced to deal with the rest when moving to another place.

My wife was becoming quite a good oil painter, and so I have many paintings done by her. She also had selected art prints that were on our walls for decades. SInce we had moved, most of these are still in boxes? What do I do with all those? I don't know. I fear even opening the boxes. Some boxes that I've already opened have caused stabs of pain. But a few have brought back nice memories. This does slow down the unpacking process.

I handled it slowly, keeping things that were meaningful even if not what might be called necessary. It's been 8 years for me and although I am living a very different life there are things I still hang on too. We were married 40 years when he died, yet I have a plaque that was a 25th anniversary gift. It's not displayed in my home with Art, but resides in my dresser draw.
Through the years I have given things to our children, church, and to close friends who I knew would treasure them. One of the hardest was his motorcycle. I gave it to his and my best friend after checking with our children for their opinion. The sentimental value was more than any financial gain in selling it to a stranger. If you have space keep what brings you joy in the memories or has special meaning to you.
I know in the beginning everything felt part of him, but as the months and years pass you'll find the ability to make decisions that are impossible for you now. Sharon

Well, yes it is hard to go through ALL the things our loved ones left behind! My love has been gone 5 years & 8 months tomorrow morning. I remarried 3 months ago & have found I parted with many things in this move. I went through all of our cards of 31 1/2 years as well as our correspondence during our engagement as we were many miles apart then. I kept the ones I had to have & trashed the rest. Oh, how I missed him!!!!!! But I will be making a scrapbook and putting those I kept in it. I feel lighter since making those choices.