Loss hollows out the world. In the days and weeks after someone you love dies, everything becomes heavy with meaning. A coffee mug left in the sink. The indent of a head on a pillow. A pair of reading glasses on the nightstand.
We cling to these things because they're all that's left. They feel like bridges—tangible connections to a presence that has vanished. And in some cases, they are. But here's a truth that grief rarely lets us see: not everything we keep helps us heal. Some things, held too tightly, keep us from moving forward.
This isn't about discarding memories or being "over it." Grief doesn't work that way, and anyone who suggests otherwise has never truly mourned. This is about distinguishing between keepsakes that honor and objects that anchor us in pain.
Here are four things you should consider not keeping—or at least, not keeping indefinitely.
1. Stopped Clocks and Watches
