- Eliza Evans, 38, inherited many items from her grandmother, who was an antique dealer.
- The millennial felt overwhelmed by the amount of stuff she had to carry around whenever she moved.
- She overcame her guilt and sold or donated the pieces while keeping a few precious, smaller things.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Eliza Evans, a brand strategist in Chicago. It has been edited for length and clarity.
From the age of 7, I’d visit my grandparents in Florida and enter their magical world of buying and selling antiques.
We’d get in their van at 6 a.m. on a Saturday and show up three hours before the opening of an estate sale to get first dibs. Grandma was in her element as she picked out the items she wanted.
Grandma died in 2000 when I was 14. My mother and aunt inherited most of her possessions and gave several to me. I told them I was going to set up a museum in my house to display the precious items.
Then, as I became an adult, I began to see some of the things as a burden. Every time I visited Mom, she’d hand me dishes, linens, and clothes. I thought it would be disrespectful not to take them, but it got to the point where I felt overwhelmed.