The other night Chrys asked me where I got a specific mug from. She pointed to this mug from the 50s or 60s that sits on my nightstand, adorned with owls. It’s no longer in rotation in the kitchen because the handle is cracked and I’m afraid it’ll break under more use. I told her where it came from in Pilsen, that my old roommate Aubrey got it for me when she was leaving Chicago (and how I had got her some dangly rat earrings), how long I’ve had it for, etc. She called me very sentimental.

And I guess that I am. I mused out loud to her about how I like keeping things and objects around, especially when they have meaning. I’ve still got one surviving mug from my exfiancee Sarah. It’s probably 15 years old now. It’s always “Sarah’s Mug.” Steph gave me one sweater, left another with me, and also left two really nice hair clips here. The actually gifted sweater is mine, but it will always be from Steph. But the other sweater is hers, and so are the hair clips. I will always call it “Steph’s Sweater” and I will always take care of it the way she asked me too. And the LEGO Roses we built together for valentine’s day last year will always be her roses.. I have a top from Josie that never fit my boobs quite right, but it’ll always be a gift from her; a much better gift than all the relationship trauma…

I will never get rid of Duster’s collars and tags. Those were his, and they will always be incredibly important to me.

I have a lot more items like this, but they’re not coming to mind at this moment. The point though is that all of these objects, these things, carry memories for me. They hold on to the feelings and memories that don’t always stay in my mind. They help me remember people I loved, places I’ve been, and stories from my life. I would never be able to live a minimalist life at home. I need to be surrounded by these things so I don’t lose those parts of my life.

I will always cherish these things, even if the people are no longer in my life, even if the people scarred me. Very few people in my life were purely bad, many brought a lot of good things and helped me learn more about myself. Even Josie