Getting rid of much of the stuff we've piled up over the years seems to be a huge problem for many of us as we get older. I've heard some horror stories, and I understand that there are TV programs just about hoarders.

Even those of us who aren't hoarders probably have far more stuff than we need to have. And if we should happen to die prematurely (isn't it always prematurely?), our family/friends/neighbors or maybe total strangers will be stuck having to deal with all of our stuff. They may be under pressure to dispose of it quickly too.

So the time to give cherished belongings to people of your choosing may be now rather than after you're gone. And the time to sort through your clothes/books/kitchen items/ tools/hobby items/collections, not to mention appliances and other gadgets that don't work but you've never got around to fixing them, is now.

I've found that the more I can get rid of, the easier my life is. It's less stuff to look at every day. Less stuff to have to move around just to get at other stuff.

This can be overdone, of course. I've often chucked things out before I should have but if you think it through before tossing anything out, you can avoid this pitfall.

Marie Kondo's advice on how to declutter and on ways of taking care of the things you want to keep can be helpful though I don't always agree with her. I wouldn't toss things out just because they don't "spark joy," for instance.

I have a treasured cake plate that was my mother's. It is at least 80 years old, probably older, and it comes with its own cake cover, which has an insert under the lid that has always managed to keep things fresher. I'm not sure what it's made of but it works. The cover has tarnished beyond restoration though and looks a bit shabby by now. I can't bear to give it away, and the glass plate is in excellent shape. There are some things you just can't bring yourself to part with. But it you have a space problem, sometimes you have to get over these warm fuzzy attachments to Things.