So I wanted to add my own entry regarding John’s pack-rat post.

During my apartment overhaul, I have also come across many items stuffed back in closets for many years. Most movingly, I re-discovered my stash of items from my first ever—and so far only—true love. I have every letter, story, drawing, and note ever sent to me by Bryon Fear.

When we broke up (a long time ago now!), I had put all this stuff away where I could not see it. The breakup was mutually painful, and I needed to cut Bryon and all these mementos out of my life while I healed. What I did not do, even though a tiny part of me wanted to at the time, was throw the stuff away. I could not have done that. I never would have.

Items like these are more important to life than things like DVDs and a new sofa and lamps that look like they belong in a medical office. Memories are more important than other of life’s “stuff.”

Bryon and I are friends now and talk and visit and all those good things. I think we will always love each other, though our time to be together has passed away. Keeping the evidence of our mad love was one of the best things I’ve ever done. I don’t care if it takes up valuable space or if I never read every one of the letters again, just having them there to see and hold and glance through is important to me now and forever.

So John, pack rat all that stuff! Tax forms? Toss ’em. Documents from work years ago? BURN ’em! But always keep the real stuff.