Ask Emma

Q: My husband is the biggest pack rat there is. We have a two-car garage, but our cars are parked on the street. All his previous jobs, hobbies, trips and sports are still with us. There is no room to drop a pin in the garage. The house is filled with boxes upon boxes of stuff, collected throughout his whole life. We have a spare bedroom, but guess what is in there? More stuff! I told him, one day I would take my purse and leave him for good. He does not do anything to remedy the situation. What should I do? A: I feel for you. Lack of space and air would drive anybody crazy. Stuff, stored in people’s dwellings not only collects dust, but makes one’s home unfit to leave in and function properly. Interestingly enough, for a person, who stores everything for future use, it appears too hard to find something when it’s needed. Pack rats end up collecting more of the same stuff just because they are not able to locate a thing they already have. Please help your husband to donate his valuable possessions to a school, library or charity, and plan to do so in several small steps, so it would not be too traumatic for him. Threats are not the best way to deal with the problem, while gentle participation and encouragement might do the job.