Lake house dust-up roils friendship
How do I keep the joy without leaving the clutter (or confusion) for my survivors?
-- Keep it or pitch it?
Dear Keep It: I have a diary written by an ancestor in 1790. "Started building my cabin today" is one of the entries.
My point is that some of these quotidian -- or deeply personal -- things can be fascinating artifacts later. Do not throw away the letters from your parents. Do not pitch anything that continues to make you happy. Unless there is an enormous amount of material, I vote for letting your children reap the pleasure of enjoying these glimpses into your young life once you are gone.
Dear Amy: "Bored with Michelle" wanted to adopt a new nickname to go along with her new life.
My family shortened my given name, and as an adult I realized I didn't like it. I started calling myself by the longer version of my name, and successfully switched. Now only my family calls me by my nickname.
-- Catherine, not Cat
Dear Catherine: My brother did this, and half of the family made the switch.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
