In the spirit of everything Taylor Swift, since she’s taking over the world (and most of us are happy about it), let’s talk about whether or not people really hang onto things given to them (or left by) an ex after a breakup.

These people do…and they’re going to tell you exactly what they kept and why.

A little bit of proof.

Amazing love letters. She was a beautiful writer (and person!)

I haven’t looked at them in a long time but I like that I have them as proof that I could be loved like that.

A free piano.

A f**king 800 pound piano and I don’t play and it’s in the way and does anyone want a free piano?

Sounds bitter.

But later in life, the awful way my marriage ended caused me to violently short-circuit my sentimentality, and I threw away every letter, every memento, every picture.

I tried to obliterate every memory of what I was.

That’s what my ex gave to me.

Totally wholesome.

She sewed a sweater for my childhood teddy bear, because the one he originally had was lost in the laundry, and there is no way I would ever get rid of that.

It keeps her safe.

In 1972 a boy gave me a Saint Christopher necklace. I did not know it at the time but later found out that it meant we are going steady.

We were a couple for a few months until he tried to kiss me, I got scared and broke up with him. I tried giving him the necklace back but he insisted I keep it.

I still have it, its traveled all over with me and its kept me safe. Thanks James! I will always remember you.

They are warm.

I’ve got two bed quilts my ex’s mother made for my ex. My ex thought they were tacky because they were made from scrap clothes as the children grew out of them and have no pattern. I loved them. The eclectic materials and colors and of course they are warm.

They were a gift to her, but because I loved them she brought them over to my house. Eight years later we broke up. It was summer and the blankets were packed away and kinda forgot when she claimed all the other things in my house that were her’s.

I rang her up that winter to give back the blankets. By now I knew the story of most of whose patch was whose and what age they last wore a garment. She insisted the blankets were made by my mom and they were ugly.

Ok, she wasn’t a stuck up person ever. She had a good relationship with her mother. I think the blankets were a symptom of a problem unrecognized until I tried to give them back. Every argument we ever had dealt with her perception of reality being wildly wrong. We broke up because I installed some security cameras at some point (due to break-ins) and I could show her what really happened occasionally.

These were petty things that mostly didn’t matter. Things like “moving” her car. There’s nothing wrong with the car it’s just 3 feet from where she knows she parked. No reason for me to do it except to fuck with her. Security footage shows no one messed with it except her. That kind of thing was a constant annoyance and forcing her to see the truth was too much for her.

In the end I got a pair of awesome quilts that I still use.

It has feelings.

A stuffed animal.

Only because I can’t find it in me AT ALL to throw away a stuffed animal. It has feelings!

Both are nice.

1976 Black Ibanez Les Paul Custom Copy and a kid.

A new tradition.

A beautiful guitar i never learned to play.

I gave it to my son and he’s keeping the tradition alive. By not learning either.

One thoughtful thing.

Still have a great wallet from … 14 years ago? That my ex gave me.

Probably the only thoughtful thing she ever did.

Weirdly enough.

Weirdly enough, academic confidence. She’s the one that pushed me to go back to college after I dropped out and now that I think about it that might have been one of the last conversations we had.

The tl;dr was her telling me to stop f**king around and apply myself because she knew I was intelligent enough but I was lazy.

I’ve graduated twice since then.

A pretty good gift.

My ex wife was a big part of me getting off drugs and alcohol, so to me she gave me sobriety.

Priceless, really.

The knowledge of what red flags look like.

Sweet and well-written.

This birthday card. It was just very sweet and well written.

We broke up on great terms but I read that card when I’m down.

A bit of baggage.

8 years later and I haven’t felt romantic interest in a single human being since.

Also, this leather wallet.

Home more than anything.

A really beautiful wooden topographical map of a lake near my hometown.

I love maps, it fits my decor style perfectly, plus he only visited my hometown like three times in the two years we were together so it reminds me of home more than anything.

You gotta see the bright side.

My mattress. His was brand new and wayyyy better than mine so we scrapped it. When he cheated and I kicked his ass out, he let me keep it.

I mean, he definitely sucks.. but I got a bomb ass mattress upgrade and paid nothing.

I mean, hoodies I get.

The rest…seems pretty personal, yeah?