I love my “things.” I love feeling happy in my surroundings, with all my tchotchkes and stuff that reminds me of places I’ve been or family members who’ve passed on. But like a lot of Americans, I see that inheriting other people’s stuff is not as meaningful as it used to be, at least not for the next generation.

For some years, I have held onto my grandparents’ furniture as well the silver, the china, the crystal, because these things have emotional value for me, reminding me of Thanksgiving dinners of my childhood and many days passed in my grandparents’ home. I finally realized it was time…