[custom_adv] it doesn’t mean you’re crazy! The fact that we don’t have a post about this is mind-boggling to me because talking to a loved one who died is something we certainly do, it is something many (dare I say most?) grievers do, and it can bring a lot of comfort during the moments you miss them most. [custom_adv] So talk away – be it out loud or in your head, this is a common way we continue a relationship with your loved one.You can keep the letters or you can get rid of them. [custom_adv] If you choose the latter and you have physical letters, you can do it in creative ways – you can tear them up and collage with them, paint over them in an art journal, or whatever else works for you. [custom_adv] No matter where you write them or what you do with them, these letters keep you connected with your loved one in the present. If you are looking for inspiration, check out this post on thought catalog: “An Open Letter to My Dead Best Friend”. [custom_adv] This may seem absurdly obvious, but there will be people who make you feel uncomfortable about keeping photos. [custom_adv] For example, a woman who wrote in to Ask Amy expressing concern that her widowed boyfriend still had pictures of his wife around. [custom_adv] She didn’t ask our opinion, but luckily we decided to share what we thought anyway. [custom_adv] Keeping photos around keeps us connected with our loved one and often helps us remember the ways that person continues to influence our lives.Check out our suggestions for how you can remember your loved one on your wedding day. [custom_adv] Consider leaving an empty chair at holiday meals to honor your loved one, or using one of our 18 other suggestions. Discuss as a family other ways that you may want to involve your loved one’s memory at special events. [custom_adv] You will certainly be thinking of them on these big days, so there is no reason to keep that inside if you want to find a more open way to involve your loved one in the event.