What do you do if someone dies and leaves no will?

We have a bit of a situation. Let’s explain. Grandma went to be with Jesus last Friday. She left a will when it came to money. But she left a WHOLE HOUSE of stuff. Tons of clothing, three floors of furniture, and millions (no joke – millions) of chotchkies. It will take weeks and weeks to sort through everything.

My dad is one of four brothers (my uncles are VERY well off and their families have asked for basically nothing in the house). So it kinda falls on my immediate family. My older brother asked for a doll (my grandma handpainted their tiny faces) for my neice Clara. My younger brother didn’t ask for anything but we found some old coins we thought he would like to add to his collection. My sister has no space and asked for a few scarfs and a bit of her costume jewelry. And then there is me. I have a certain emotional attachment to almost everything. I would keep an unhealthy amount of items. So what do you do?

We have all asked for little things of sentimental value…I asked for the pighead. But then there is the stuff that has REAL value…like furniture. In actuality, my parents and I are the only ones with room for anything…and when I say my parents and I, I mean my mom will stuff other things in a closet to make room. Also, it seems wrong to ask for anything of any intrinsic value because we don’t NEED it. But it seems more wrong to not ask for her things because of the emotional value. Even if an item is worth a lot doesn’t mean that is the reason you keep it, right? So what do you do?

For instance, Jeremy and I have space for a bedroom suite. I would prefer her bedroom suite…because it was hers. Her hands touched those dressers everyday. Her smell is still in the drawers. Her most personal items were in that room. But it is probably the nicest of all the bedroom furniture. And besides the dining room set, it has the most value. So I felt really strange asking for it. But I didn’t want to NOT ask for it and it be donated to someone who never knew how special it was to touch her things.

Have you ever dealt with a situation like this? What do you do? Do you only choose the items of sentimental value or do you ask for items that are worth cash? We don’t want to sell anything but if we donate the items, the thought of her stuff being picked over by complete strangers is really painful. We realize that it is better if we give the items away for others who need them. But it is really hard to know whether it is better to choose all sentimental items or mix it up with some items of value too. Just another reason why death sucks.

Right now I am on the way home. Yup. God bless technology. Gotta love wireless internet. My boyfriend is driving down Interstate 85 and I am speed typing (get it? hee hee) Ya’ll keep truckin!