Why is it so hard to throw things away? 8/26

Hi Friends,

These past few months I have been knee deep in trying to figure out how to raise a baby (where is the owner’s manual?). Penelope is now 5 months old and loves to giggle. She is an amazing little being (I’m biased) and we are learning our way together. The parallels of birth and death are absolutely astounding- and the subject of another newsletter coming up soon.

I have also been intensely face to face with my own childhood as of late. The time has come to go through the many boxes of saved things from my childhood now that my dad is downsizing. There is a striking similarity between throwing out a dead loved one’s things and throwing out (or donating) your own childhood things. Both can feel like a betrayal, as if implying you are further killing that person or version of self by releasing the tangible, concrete things.

There are boxes and boxes of my childhood drawings, favorite stuffed animals (many eaten by mice), tiny old, mildewed dresses, even a crinkled paper crown I apparently wore on my 1st birthday. Why does throwing this all out feel so, beyond heart wrenching?

Keep reading below to look a little more at why it is so hard to let go of out things. As always there is artwork, a song, and two comics of the month (one is a repeat that I just had to include again).

Please reach out if you have any thoughts or questions on end of life issues. I’m here for you!