Do you hold on to keepsakes from past partners?

[Rosencrantz]

It depends on how it ended. Not every relationship ends in flames.

If my boyfriend or girlfriend had anything they kept from an ex, I wouldn't lose sleep over it.

[Harmonie]

I've never been one who could move on from the past very well. This became so much worse when some very unwelcome changes came into my life, and my hoarder tendencies really started to get worse, especially in terms of items that I owned from the time before. (Although, as I said, I'm predisposed this way lol)

I've never had a bad relationship, but the most important one to me I didn't end up with many gifts from. However, the few gifts I had, I most certainly kept. It wouldn't have seemed to off for me, though, if you had seen my room earlier this year. I finally had to clean things, and a lot of things I just ended up getting myself to throw away because I was so sick of the mess - I like things being clean, I really do!

Having never had a bad relationship, and really treasuring my last one, I specifically avoided ever throwing away those gifts, though. It was a deep love that wouldn't be able to go away overnight. However I noticed that keeping those gifts - and other things I hoarded lol - isn't going to bring back the past, and I successfully threw a whole lot of it away. I still wish I could keep everything, but there is simply no room, and I like cleanliness.

[gemini_pony]

I have all my gifts from my ex...but the reason being is he is both me and my hubby's best friend.

[brightberry]

^awww


I have a teddy bear from an ex that I was going give to good will but my husband protested and even when I told him where I got it, he still wanted it saying it wasn't the bear's fault. 

[sundaygirl]

I agree that the "hide the original"-idea would be very dishonest. But I don't see a problem with photos of ex-partners in general.

Many of us have had relationships which have lasted for years or even decades before we met our present partner. Our exes will appear in many pictures that are significant for our past. What are we supposed to do? Pretend like we never had a past and toss out our photo albumes completely in order to please our partners? Cut out the ex from the photos?

Though, I can understand that pictures of a snuggling couple or so could stir up emotions. I guess you'll have to handle it from a case to case-basis.

I have a few gifts from exes. Some from a relation that ended in good terms and the gifts are stuff I like and might have bought anyway so I see no reason not to keep them. I do have jewellry and plush animals from another ex stashed away in a black plastic bag for years, waiting to be tossed out. But that has more to do with how bad our relationship was.