Seven months after the world changed and we’ve largely kept the house the same.  Everything is in the same place.  It just seemed the right thing to do, as if nothing had happened.  All my partners clothes and possessions undisturbed from the day she went into hospital.  Even after she died, I washed the clothes she had used in hospital and put them neatly away in the draws (as if she was coming back).

This weekend we have started to change things.  We’ve started to go through the clothes to see what can go to the charity shop. We so far have a car full of bagged clothing ready to go.  Really important point is to check every pocket and bag.  I dread to think of the sentimental things we found which would have been lost.

We have also started moving the furniture around, trying to make it our house now.  The funny thing is my partner was good at this sort of thing, so our changes haven’t really improved the look of the house.  But that’s not the point, the key is that we made changes.  I’m probably not ready to move on, but my son wants to try …. and that’s what’s going to happen.

Update:  Carefully check any books you are giving away.  I’m giving the charity shop a pile of my partners books.  As I was putting the last book in the bag, a photo fell out from the book.  It was a photo from 17 years ago, taken on our first holiday as a couple.