I have found myself facing, unfortunately with more frequency, the dilemma of when to delete the names of people who have passed from my contacts.
When I was in my thirties and forties, there were virtually no names to delete and the few people who passed were people much older than me.
This has changed dramatically since I turned 50. Deaths among my contemporaries and near-contemporaries – friends, family and former colleagues – have become more frequent. As I scroll through my phone book, outlook contacts and business card binder, I run across their names:
NOTE: The rest of this post is in my latest post on BlogHer.com. Press here for the link.
My mother died a year and a half ago. My sister died in 2002. My father died in 2001. They are all still in my phone and in my contacts. I never dial them or look for their address, but sometimes I talk to them anyway. I’m not going to delete them.
I understand.
This is an ongoing issue for me. I actually hate junk and clutter, so I tend to get rid of things. But my messy address book which needs to be replaced, I cannot seem to part with. Both my grandmother and uncle’s names are in there and I cannot delete them. If I replace the address book, then I have to not write their names in the new one. Somehow I still can’t do it. And it’s been many years. Whenever I think about it, I just put the address book away. I guess when I’m ready, I’ll know it.
I so “feel you” on this! As you say, when you’re ready, you’ll know.