When Possessions Are Links to Ones We Love

I would like to offer one more reason for keeping “stuff” (“Psychology by the Square Foot,” by Victoria Clayton, Aug. 10). I have kept stuff since I was old enough to walk, and I often wondered why. As an adult I discovered that many people who were important in my life would one day leave it. When I looked at my stuff I noticed that most of it had belonged to these people. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I was holding on to their memories by keeping their possessions. When I look in Nana’s hand mirror, I am reminded of how close we were and how much she taught me. It’s a good feeling.

Pat Lagerstrom

San Marcos, Calif.