Shannen Doherty was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2020. Last year, she announced that the cancer had spread to her brain and her bones. She ultimately made the choice to get rid of most of her belongings, and recently spoke out about that decision.
According to HuffPost, Shannen revealed why she’s currently downsizing during a recent episode of her Let’s Be Clear podcast. She explained that her battle against cancer has made her reevaluate her priorities. Right now, her focus is mainly on her mom.
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Shannen acknowledged that if she passes away before her mother, it’s going to be hard enough for her. She wants to make things a little less difficult for her mom by sorting through her possessions beforehand.
Shannen claimed that throughout the years, she has accumulated a huge collection of antiques. As a result, she has numerous storage units full of furniture that she’s determined to finish going through.
Shannen said that even though it feels like it’s the “right thing to do,” the process of getting rid of things has still been emotionally challenging. She admitted that when she packed her belongings at one of her Tennessee properties, she ended up breaking into tears.
Shannen explained that she and her mom had planned on turning the property into a sanctuary for abandoned and mistreated horses. When she separated her items into boxes to donate, it felt like she was “giving up on their dream.”
Shannen’s Choices Brought Her a Sense of Peace
Shannen also confessed that she questioned whether the decision to get rid of her possessions meant that she “was giving up on life.” But she knew that it would make the transition of her passing easier for her family. This brought her “a sense of peace.”
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Shannen ultimately realized that her belongings are just material things, and they don’t actually bring her “any great joy.” What she’s planning on doing with the money she gets from selling her possessions brings her a lot of happiness.
According to WKRN News, Shannen set aside money from her estate “to make sure her loved ones are taken care of” after she passes. But she’s planning to use the earnings from selling her things to travel around with her mom and build incredible memories with her.
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Shannen revealed that they’ve already gone on trips to Croatia and to Italy. While she and her mother were driving through Italy, her mom broke down. She explained that her mom’s tears were because she never thought she’d be able to visit the country, let alone with her daughter by her side.
Shannen said that those memories with her mother will always be more meaningful to her than any of her possessions. She added that despite how sad she is sometimes, getting rid of her belongings gave her a sense of freedom.
