I have a small box full of remnants from my few high school relationships. I have pictures, movie tickets, and letters from exes, even though those mementos now make me nauseous. Over the last few years of dating, I’ve heard that burning all your ex’s belongings in a bonfire is somewhat cathartic, but I think otherwise. It feels better looking back on the few happy moments I’ve had in my relationships rather than thinking about how badly they ended.
Here are a few of your ex’s belongings that you should keep:
Love Letters
The letters your ex has given you will make you laugh. They will help you recall some fun, long-forgotten memories you had with your ex. They’ll reference cringey song lyrics and include all of the pet names that now sound so childish. Your ex’s love letters will help you realize how in love you were.
Netflix Password
Let’s be honest, we all know that an entire community can use one Netflix account… so why not use your ex’s? Your ex won’t notice if you hold on to that password a bit longer while you binge-watch all of the 90’s shows that you couldn’t watch when they first came out. Your ex can’t prove that you’re the one currently watching the 6th season of Gilmore Girls, so go ahead and snatch up that password!
Sweater
If you have ever loved someone, think of that one hoodie that you alway stole and never felt bad for taking. An ex’s sweater is the ultimate pajama top, walking-the-dog top, staying-in-and-watching-Netflix top, or grocery-shopping-on-a-Sunday-at-10 pm top. Sweaters smell like your ex for a long time, so taking them back is something I can stand by.
Pictures
I was always more hesitant to keep pictures of my ex because a photo is a thousand words. They have the ability to make you miss and long for your ex, but the whole point of keeping your ex’s things is to move forward, not tie you to the past. It took me awhile to accept that photos with your ex don’t help you move on, but they do help you realize how many great moments you had together. So don’t be afraid to keep those pics!
Charger
This one is not ex-specific, but if you ever have the opportunity to steal your ex’s phone charger because yours is on its last leg, you should. In the moment, you may not think about the fact that they have no way of charging their phone, but they’ll be OK without their charger.
In all seriousness, it’s healthy to hold on to tiny pieces of the past. It’s good to look back on old times and to enjoy the memories you shared with someone you once loved. So enjoy savoring these few last parts of your past relationship. Reminiscing is good for the soul.
