In January, Economist correspondent Rosie Blau’s mum died. She left behind a houseful of possessions, accumulated over a lifetime. Items suffused with memories, items catalogued as useful - in a rainy day kind of way - and items, like toenail clippings and broken tennis rackets, that had no utility at all. In the months since her death, Rosie has been sorting through her mum’s house. The reality and enormity of the task has left her reflecting on her mum’s relationship with stuff and why she kept so much of it.

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