--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You must never allow something that…" description: "\"You must never allow something that happened to you to become a morbidly treasured heirloom that you carry, show people, put back in its black velvet p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/augusten-burroughs-603_black_you-must-never-allow-something-that-happ_1788440.jpg" --- # You must never allow something that happened to you to… ![“You must never allow something that happened to you to become a morbidly treasured heirloom that you carry, show people, put back in its black velvet pouch and then tuck back into your jacket where you can keep it close to your heart.” quote by Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/augusten-burroughs-603_black_you-must-never-allow-something-that-happ_1788440.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/augusten-burroughs-603_black_you-must-never-allow-something-that-happ_1788440.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/augusten-burroughs-603_black_you-must-never-allow-something-that-happ_1788440.jpg) > “You must never allow something that happened to you to become a morbidly treasured heirloom that you carry, show people, put back in its black velvet pouch and then tuck back into your jacket where you can keep it close to your heart.” [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Warns against clinging to painful memories as treasured objects. **In simple terms:** Let go of harmful past memories. Key Takeaway Release burdensome memories. Themes healing self-care growth Mood reflective somber Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - therapy sessions - personal reflection - relationship counseling Key Concepts attachment trauma processing Questions to Reflect On - What memory are you holding onto? - How can you transform pain into learning? A Different Perspective Some may find it hard to discard meaningful but painful experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Heirloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heirloom/) [Heirlooms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heirlooms/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Treasured](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treasured/) ## Related quotes > [I think I now understand why it is that the young are so very nostalgic. They have so little by way of personal history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-self/i-think-i-now-understand-why-it-is-that-the-young-are-so-very/) [Will Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-self/) > [Our most treasured family heirloom are our sweet family memories. The past is never dead, it is not even past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/our-most-treasured-family-heirloom-are-our-sweet-family-memories-the/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [I have a garden, and I collect different heirloom seeds from different neighbors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zac-posen/i-have-a-garden-and-i-collect-different-heirloom-seeds-from-different/) [Zac Posen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zac-posen/) > [Anyone may have diamonds: an heirloom is an ornament of quite a different kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-aston/anyone-may-have-diamonds-an-heirloom-is-an-ornament-of-quite-a/) [Elizabeth Aston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-aston/) > [The principal and only way to make an heirloom product is to design something that people will need not just this year, but for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-griffith/the-principal-and-only-way-to-make-an-heirloom-product-is-to-design/) [Saul Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-griffith/) > [In many respects, designing heirloom products means saying no to designing consumer crap that you know will not last very long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-griffith/in-many-respects-designing-heirloom-products-means-saying-no-to/) [Saul Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-griffith/) > [“You’ll leave a trail of trash on this Earth that will far exceed anything of worth you leave behind. For every ounce of heirloom,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-sternbergh/you-ll-leave-a-trail-of-trash-on-this-earth-that-will-far-exceed/) [Adam Sternbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-sternbergh/) > [“But even the bad stuff in life can teach you something, shape you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-hill/but-even-the-bad-stuff-in-life-can-teach-you-something-shape-you/) [Melissa Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-hill/) > [Like a precious family heirloom, freedom is not just ours to enjoy, but to treasure, protect, and pass on to future generations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/like-a-precious-family-heirloom-freedom-is-not-just-ours-to-enjoy-but/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) > [“It doesn't matter so much who carries on neglected heirloom seeds, just as long as someone does, and that someone might as well be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-bonsall/it-doesn-t-matter-so-much-who-carries-on-neglected-heirloom-seeds/) Will Bonsall > [“For every ounce of heirloom, you leave a ton of landfill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-sternbergh/for-every-ounce-of-heirloom-you-leave-a-ton-of-landfill/) [Adam Sternbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-sternbergh/) > [“They used to dream of steamer trunks and hounds with heirloom markings and lives that were both ever-changing and constant. Lives like forge fires.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-moffett/they-used-to-dream-of-steamer-trunks-and-hounds-with-heirloom/) [Kevin Moffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-moffett/) > [It's good to start early when buying jewelry pieces. Aside from being investments, they are classic, they are timeless, and they are something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heart-evangelista/it-s-good-to-start-early-when-buying-jewelry-pieces-aside-from-being/) [Heart Evangelista](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heart-evangelista/) > [“You wouldn't be able to appreciate the happy time if you didn't sometimes experience sad times as well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-hill/you-wouldn-t-be-able-to-appreciate-the-happy-time-if-you-didn-t/) [Melissa Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-hill/) > [“It's a part of life. You never know what you are going to get; you just have to be strong enough to deal with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-hill/it-s-a-part-of-life-you-never-know-what-you-are-going-to-get-you-just/) [Melissa Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-hill/) ## More by Augusten Burroughs > [There is nothing about myself that I wouldn't reveal or write about. I don't care how horrendous or ridiculous I may appear in person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/there-is-nothing-about-myself-that-i-wouldn-t-reveal-or-write-about-i/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [“We were alone together, we were an us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/we-were-alone-together-we-were-an-us/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [Like every child, I adored her. Until I formed a brain and got to know her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/like-every-child-i-adored-her-until-i-formed-a-brain-and-got-to-know/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [“You must hang onto the scraps of the bucking moment as if your sanity and life depended on it - because actually they do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/you-must-hang-onto-the-scraps-of-the-bucking-moment-as-if-your-sanity/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [Real optimism is not the pep talk you give yourself. It is earned through the labor involved in emotional housekeeping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/real-optimism-is-not-the-pep-talk-you-give-yourself-it-is-earned/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [If you hate your life, you haven't' seen enough of it. 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On Roid Rage days, it made me want to stomp down to the highway, pull drivers out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/on-typical-days-dust-is-simply-irritating-on-roid-rage-days-it-made/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [I'm like the guy who prepares your taxes or a dentist. I'm very conservative and boring in a lot of ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/i-m-like-the-guy-who-prepares-your-taxes-or-a-dentist-i-m-very/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [“Nothing surprises me now," I tell him. I am stoic. I am Joan of Arc, with liver damage and an unused penis.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/nothing-surprises-me-now-i-tell-him-i-am-stoic-i-am-joan-of-arc-with/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [“It's not that I was an outright nitwit of a child.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/it-s-not-that-i-was-an-outright-nitwit-of-a-child/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [What I really want is to sit next to someone under an L.L. bean blanket on the beach in the fall and drink coffee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/what-i-really-want-is-to-sit-next-to-someone-under-an-l-l-bean/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [“My worth depended on where exactly the decimal was placed among the zeroes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/my-worth-depended-on-where-exactly-the-decimal-was-placed-among-the/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [“Bookman isn't a stable man. He has a lot of problems that run very, very deep." But he was really good at giving head.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/bookman-isn-t-a-stable-man-he-has-a-lot-of-problems-that-run-very/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) [Explore all 448 Augusten Burroughs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) ## More Black quotes > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. 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