Feel sad about this

[englishlavender]

Sort of a spin off from the 90s thread.

Due to bereavements and then family breakdown, I have nothing from my childhood. No photos, toys, old school books or reports, old clothes or trinkets.

I guess others are in the same boat.

Sometimes I feel my childhood and early adolescence didn't happen.

My parents moved to the US stored all my childhood stuff (although to be fair there wasn't much kept) intheir basement, which subsequently flooded and nothing survived.

I can hardly remember anything of my childhood now anywsy.

I totally understand, my evil ex stole and probably destroyed all of my childhood/sentimental boxes out of the loft when we divorced. My baby clothes school reports teenage diaries etc my whole life! You can never get them back.

Thanks x

I have literally nothing. I left my 'family home' after my mum died when I was in my teens and never had anything from my youth.

I think it's made me quite unsentimental.

I get it. My ex stepdad destroyed almost everything of my childhood, including every single photo. Just to get back at my Mum. It really hurts

I do have some stuff - not as much as I would like. I think if you've had traumatic early events like bereavements then "things" can become so important - they're your only link to your past and sometimes you need them to trigger memories. It's horrible when you don't have them.

Me neither OP. My parents moved around a lot and didn't keep that kind of thing. There's photos at their home but we are no contact so that's it really. I have clear memories though so I suppose that just has to do.

So awful to have things deliberately destroyed

I do feel my memories are patchy at best. I think if I could see tangible things from the past I'd have many memories. Good and painful, but better than big holes, in a way? I don't know

But I have love around me now and I suppose that is what is important.