News-Record.com

Ahhhh the good old remnants of an affair gone cold....what does one do with them? Well, it is my belief that one should never make that decision so soon after a breakup - especially if it's got a hefty price tag attached.

After a little time has passed, that decision can be made based on how or why the two of you split. For example, ladies, if he cheated repeatedly and the breakup was a bad one, this could be a good time to get that much needed revenge/closure. If it's something he left behind and you know he really likes it, ha ha, go Angela Bassett in "Waiting to Exhale" and sell it for dirt cheap! But be careful here, it's a possibility the two of you could end up on Judge Judy.

Now, on the other hand, if the remains of your relationship can earn you a pretty penny and it's lost its luster, either because you think of your ex every time you use it or because you want to play the out-with-the-old, go on and post it on eBay!

But really, these days even bad breakups can lead to a decent friendship - eventually - so there are plenty of cases where keeping the gift or the things he/she may have left behind is doable.

Trust me, I have a couple pair of really cute shoes I received as gifts and I wear those babies with no problem! Hell, after dealing with some of these guys and their issues, I feel like I've earned them.

I have the worst possible story for this. Not only do I still have a piece of expensive crap memorializing a lame relationship, but I even bought for myself!

Remember a couple years back when everybody's mom got those Italian charm bracelets? Flat, stainless or silver links with little gold and enamel stuff painted on them? In the grips of affection, killing some time at the mall, I got one of those with his name on it and a little shamrock and I wore it. Well, until I saw a couple of people's moms wearing them.

Then we broke up. But nobody wants a trend from a couple of years ago, slightly used, with some other guy's name on it. So I'm stuck with this bracelet. I can't throw it away because I spent so much money on it, but I can't wear it because it's kind of ugly and also this ex-boyfriend's name.

I even tried to convince my dance teacher friend to take it off my hands by rearranging the letters to say TAP, but she didn't bite.

But I'm with you on one point, Jizelle. If I still like a relic from an old relationship, I wear it until I get tired of it. Same for mix tapes. I broke up with him, not Ween.

I had a ring that miraculously turned into a nice watch once...I hate wearing rings anyway...

I did not feel sad at all.

I have a pair of pajama pants from an old flame that I'm finally giving to Goodwill. I think at first I kept them for the sentimental value. That lasted about a week. Then I kept them because I tend to keep things long past the point when their value no longer exceeds the space they're taking up.