velma929

My shrink from many years ago must have suggested I keep a journal. I was never good at it. I didn't find it especially enlightening. I'm not creative or artistic, and my handwriting is mostly illegible, anyway. I found a couple and read a little, and it just made me sad. Not terribly sad, just a little, because I was desperate for my partner to change, so I wouldn't have to.

He never changed. He died. I'm free. I have moved on. I did some things recorded in those books I wasn't proud of. it was a lousy period of my life. I'm not that person any more.

Pitching them seems the right thing to do. Have any of you done this? Any regrets?

Nata1980

Yes. No regrets. I burned one too many photos - fire is cleansing.

maia1234

V,
As long as you have made peace with them and you don't want to save "somethings" in there. It is your past and you have moved on. I see no harm in removing that stuff from your life. I have been divorced 3 years now and still can't throw that stuff away. I guess this is something to think about.

hearthealth

I had wedding pictures which I hated my pose. I kept them anyway because it was my wedding. It was my memory. I recently got rid of the bad pictures. I don't need to keep reminding my self of the bad memories. I can let those memories fade and remember the happier times.

velma929

" I have been divorced 3 years now and still can't throw that stuff away. "

Yeah, part of this is that I'm not getting any younger. One day, someone will press house keys into my nephew's hand, and say, "She was a nice lady. Kinda quiet. Kept to herself. Hope you can find good homes for those cats." I'm trying to downsize the dumpster they will have to rent.

It's weird. When I think about destroying them I cry, but it's not a sad cry. It *feels* like the final step in forgiving /accepting late husband. I can reminisce about the happy stuff and let go of the crap.

maia1234

" I can reminisce about the happy stuff and let go of the crap."

2018 New Years Resolution my friend!!!

firebolt

Yeah, it doesn't sound like you will regret disposing of it at all. We keep it for as long as we need it, and releasing it can really set us free!

hopeful4

My counselor told me to burn mine. To have a celebration of sorts of how far I have come, and how my life is different now than in those journals. Freeing.

I will give you something funny to add. I don't know if this is an issue for everyone like it is for us, but we have a million socks in our house that never seem to have mates. Later in the evening, my children and I passed on the unmatched socks to the Sock Gods and burned all those too. We took pics and have a good laugh when it comes up.

I did both of these things in one day, and am glad we did something silly to lighten it up. FYI....kids were not home when I burned my journals!

velma929

A galvanized pail usually used for pellet stove accepted the journal.

I told Late Husband I was sorry for my shortcomings, and prayed to God to learn to forgive more fully. Then I had to shower, because my clothes all smelled of smoke. I didn't need current guy to ask "What the ----? What happened?

Really, no one can hold a grudge like me. Everyone has their strengths, and unfortunately, that's mine.