Debbie;
Sorry you have to go throught that, but know how you feel; it's only been 2 1/2 months since I lost Jim; like others already said, keep what you want and for as long as you want, or forever. I wear Jim's t-shirts and soft lounge pants all the time, except when they are being washed now; I wear his sweatshirts, too. I made Jim a blanket (he was a major Packer's fan) for his birthday and now I sleep with that all the time or if I'm watching TV, it's my covers - like my "security" blanket when I was a kid! Makes me feel VERY close to him, because he always used it. Even the electric razor, his deoderant smells like him. Whatever it takes to give me that close feeling he is there. I even sleep on "Jim's" side of the bed.
Just feel that closeness in whatever you choose to.
One of Jim's younger children grabbed his wallet at our home before he was even buried, and said I want his drivers license picture; I just said pls put it back for now, we can go through it later, then his cell phone. We were to be married this year; they let me know in some unkind words that what's his, they want from our home. I did give them back alot of things that were Jim's moms, as I do feel they should have that. The rest will just have to wait. I still have the suitcase full of the clothes from when he was taking OT & PT; can't even unpack that yet; it sits by the window in the bedroom. There was no will, so it's in estate/probate and the kids get everything; kind of a mess actually.
I understand they would like items of his, and I really don't have a problem with that, but in my time when I am ready to go through it and I'm not there yet. It's just too painful. Getting through one day is hard enough right now.
Ray; I sure hope her children took more than "material" things to remember Patty by; if not, that is really sad. Sorry you had to go through that, too. You want to trust people at a time like this, but to some it doesn't seem to matter - they just want for the sake of wanting. It hurts.
Would like to have our old life back with Jim; with all the "problems" I thought we had then; nothing compares to the loss of Jim ........