With it looking like only a major miracle will ever see mum come home, I wonder how other people have coped with maintaining a parent's or loved one's 'empty house'.
On an emotional level, I am struggling to visit - even though I know I need to check the property every now and then in spite of her great neighbours who keep an eye out for simple things like putting things through the letterbox or anything else makes it obvious that the property is empty .... the sense of her not being there - and never likely to be there again is awesome ... so much that I have steeled myself to go in and move 'perishables' but can't bear to move anything else .... including the zillion notes around the place reminding her of my name and telephone number etc ..... my instinct is to want to 'blitz' the place ... yet I can't bear to move aything without good reason .... am I trying to keep a shrine?
Then there is the practical aspect - insurance companies are talking exclusions or additional premiums ....... (awaiting official 'checklist') .....
I have removed some items of irreplaceable sentimental value (mostly old letters and pictures) and just stored them in my own home ... but I'm running out of space!
Any ideas? Thanks, Karen, x
On an emotional level, I am struggling to visit - even though I know I need to check the property every now and then in spite of her great neighbours who keep an eye out for simple things like putting things through the letterbox or anything else makes it obvious that the property is empty .... the sense of her not being there - and never likely to be there again is awesome ... so much that I have steeled myself to go in and move 'perishables' but can't bear to move anything else .... including the zillion notes around the place reminding her of my name and telephone number etc ..... my instinct is to want to 'blitz' the place ... yet I can't bear to move aything without good reason .... am I trying to keep a shrine?
Then there is the practical aspect - insurance companies are talking exclusions or additional premiums ....... (awaiting official 'checklist') .....
I have removed some items of irreplaceable sentimental value (mostly old letters and pictures) and just stored them in my own home ... but I'm running out of space!
Any ideas? Thanks, Karen, x