It brings up a very relevant question that at some point many of us find ourselves asking: What do you do with all the memories of past chapters of our lives which don't fit the present, but are nevertheless extremely important parts of how you became who you are?

I too had a "training wife", a term I coined to refer to a woman whom I once loved dearly, a woman who endured quite a bit of my being a knucklehead as I grew up and became a man in spirit, thought, and action, not just in physiology. For reference, the person who needed training was me, not necessarily her, thus the term. Eventually being madly in-love with someone is not necessarily enough to overcome fundamental incompatibilities in your core personalities, and to the benefit of both of you, you go your separate ways in life (thankfully, without children).

But the past memories that paved the way for your current being never disappear completely, and photographs, music, and food have this magical way of transporting you back to the past and reminding you of a time long gone. Not necessarily emotionally; I'm not talking about rekindling love that ran its course, but nostalgia regarding your youth and the time and place can be illuminating, if not a bit melancholy.

I did a cleanse of "ex" photos when I met my wife, but I have definitely over time stumbled across a couple I missed. If my kids happen to stumble upon them and ask questions, I'll explain to them that in the context of becoming the husband and father I am right now, I had some stops along the way, some of which changed me for the better.