I decided I have to share this. I have a slightly different take on going through a dear departed's things. As an only child, it was up to me to go through my Mom's things: she collected a lot of things including owls, salt dishes, ceramics, etc., etc., etc., so there was quite a bit to go through. She'd also saved every single card and personal letter she'd ever received.
My DD come to help me. It took almost a month to get through it all. *LOL* It wasn't a matter of just throwing out all those papers, cards, and letters, either. She'd warned me she had hidden $20 bills all over the place! And, yes, we found quite a few. Most precious, though, were the photos I found.
I wouldn't trade one minute of that time. There were so many wonderful memories to share and I had the chance to tell my DD many, many family stories.