What to do with cherished belongings?

It’s a hard one. You have made a big change already, perhaps if you reduced the things you keep to say perhaps I in 6 fir now. Your memories are always in your heart wherever you are. It must be nice being with family and good luck to you,

My only thought would be, take your time. Settle in for a year or two and then see how you feel. No doubt there will be plenty of people along to say just ditch it and move on but I'm a little more cautious.
My son is also of the photograph and file in the cloud variety but has no answer when I ask about a power failure! When I speak of things in the past he often can't remember and I do wonder if out of sight and out of mind prevails. I also ask myself how I would feel if everything I treasure was lost in a fire or flood. As we age, our memories are often not what they were and perhaps a tangible reminder is a good aid, much like the family photo album.

Could you put some into storage and then swap things around? You won't have all of your things around you all the time but this would enable you to keep all of your treasured items and enjoy them on a rota basis.

Theres no rush, tolerate it for as long as you can and then decide.

Do they have a large garage?

Could you nab some space in there, box up some of your stuff and swap it around as Smileless suggested?
Could they put some wide accessible shelves in a garage?

Yes, I’d go down the storage and swap route too. Good thinking Smileless ?

I’m sorry you’ve lost your husband, Nanamar. You’ve had a lot of changes in a short space of time.

I think the advice to sleep on it for a while is good. Maybe use a storage facility, if you can spare the money? Then when you feel ready, go through your belongings again.

We’ve recently done a massive declutter of the house we’ve been in for 25 years. My mantra wasn’t simply whether I wanted to keep/throw items. It was whether I would use/read/wear/look at them again.

If an item had no future function in my life, either practical or aesthetic, then I found it a new home. It’s been liberating to dispose of so many items and also freed me of the guilt of getting rid of something just because XYZ gave it to me umpteen years ago!

Do you actually like all these individual items or do they simply reinforce special memories? I find the memories stay without the stuff but then I do tend to like space.

If an item had no future function in my life, either practical or aesthetic, then I found it a new home. It’s been liberating to dispose of so many items and also freed me of the guilt of getting rid of something just because XYZ gave it to me umpteen years ago!

I must read that every day, SueDonim

Oh yes the pain and guilt of ‘getting rid’ of something given to us by loved ones! I find it very hard to do. My favourite charity shops helps but I’ve been known to go back to the shop wanting to buy it back.