Hoarding

It's hard for me to believe the recent stories I've heard about hoarding and what I've seen nearby in a neighbor's house. Yesterday I was with some long term friends (hate to say "old") and one told the story of her older sister who died and my friend was left to clean out the house. The sister was a victim of QVC and had hundreds of rings, huge black plastic bags of jewelry (never worn), all kinds of TV promotional items and had shut off several rooms due to the hoarding. Maybe buying via the TV brings some solace or fills some emotional void but she also left behind $30,000. in debt on her charge cards from the purchases, which the estate had to pay.

Another friend mentioned someone else with a four bedroom home and the woman sleeps on the living room sofa because there are only paths through the house. Mind you, this was the smartest girl in our graduating class. She won't open the door to anyone - not even her children who are all adults!

Here I thought I could be accused of hoarding with seven pretty baskets filled with magazines but at least I am capable of ditching them and learning a lesson!

I'm certainly not out to hurt any feelings and I am, by no means, taking a holier than thou attitude but I would like to know how it starts and how it just doesn't end.

On another thread it was mentioned a woman died in her home and her body wasn't found for months due to the debris all over the house. The other woman who wore Depends rather than get the toilet fixed (and then threw the used Depends in the bathroom!) was beyond belief and yet I'm sure it happened.

After hearing the horror stories yesterday and then entering my own home last night and seeing such a scarcity of "stuff" I was very pleased but still know there are things to be cleared out and donated or sold.