NPR Essay by “Twenty Bucks” Director Keva Rosenfeld

This weekend, I was surfing NPR and as a diligent Professional Organizer, I typed my two favorite keywords into their search field– "clutter" and "organize."

I found Keva Rosenfeld’s wonderful audio and photo essay "Stuff" about the story of Keva and his sister Linda dealing with the contents of their parent’s home after their deaths.  Keva and Linda handled the large stuff quickly, but didn’t really handle most of the estate for almost 8 months until they called professional help, an estate liquidator.  Could they have saved time by hiring a Professional Organizer to speed up the process?  Yes.

"We waited 8 months before we did anything, my parents home was already paid for.  And we let it sit, just like my mom left it and until we were ready. All four bedrooms, the garage and attic were filled with 45 years of living. The big stuff was easy for the family to divvy up; the stereo, the TV, the family car.  It was the small stuff that took all the time. My mother saved everything so we went through everything: every closet, bookshelf, every drawer, every pocket in search of some forgotten treasure.   It became part archeology and part waste management."

What was the end result?

"I realize now that I don’t need any of my parents stuff to hold onto their memory. Because the best part of who they are is inside me and very much alive."

Rosenfeld’s ensemble film Twenty Bucks was re-released on DVD in August.