My DH died last September and I have always maintained that I did not need to be in a 4 bedroom house by myself. I started sorting and purging and making plans to move the following week. Me and my bad knees can't handle the stairs anymore and after two years of restrictions due to my own health issues, I can't wait to get everything on one level. There have been MANY trips to the local thrift store and many things set aside for the kids, Kijiji, Freecycle or an online auction. And of course, lots has been trashed or burned. You sure accumulate over 42 years and DH had an interesting accumulation of things and tools. This first purge has been relatively easy and when I find a place to live, I trust it will be more difficult. I'm keeping my eyes on the goal - fewer things to look after and more time to sew, read and spend with my family.
As an aside, it sure is easy to keep the house clean with so much gone already!