Mementos.......We Save The Craziest Things!!!!!

One topic I remember having at a TCF (The Compassionate Friends) meeting took me by surprise.I'm not even sure how it got started but it escalated with parents chiming in saying they thought that they were the only ones who were crazy. We thought we were crazy because we saved the strangest things that belonged to our child, grandchild or sibling that had passed away. For example in my case, these are the items I have saved that are Paul's:

1. A 2 liter bottle of diet Dr. Pepper.
2. A roll of garbage bags.
3. A package of wax paper.
4. A coffee cup filled with loose change.
5. His checkbook and cancelled checks.
6. An Amtrak train ticket.
7. His name tag from work.
8. A fanny pack where he kept his diabetic supplies.


There is lots of things of Paul's I cannot part with which are too numerous to mention, there are two of his jackets I can't part, with along with all his baseball caps. Some of the caps I gave to his best friends and one I keep on my antique hall tree, the rest are in a box. Speaking of boxes he had one that he wrote on that said "Don't touch, might explode" and he wrote his call letters, PSW 9368 (he was a wanna be disc jockey). He had saved a very small pillow from his childhood which now I am saving. My other son has Paul's collection of baseball cards, along with countless CD's, his baseball glove when he played little league, his wallet and drivers license.

My point in sharing this, is to let anyone who has lost a loved one, know that you are not crazy, abnormal or obsessed. You are a parent, grandparent or sibling who is clinging to "things" that hold precious memories of your loved one. With that in mind you must remember TCF's motto:

Remember: "We Need not Walk Alone"