Hi, LittleForgetMeNot, sounds like you are really conflicted.

When I was reading your post I got the feeling it was about you rather than the relationship, the box rather than what was in it and what it meant. I don't think you are holding on to the relationship as much as the possibility and "rainy day" aspect of thinking about it. If you empty or destroy the box and its contents, you won't have "anything".

I would do one of two things were I you. I'd either decide that yes, you are using the whole of the relationship, as represented by the box, as a reminder that you have had love and someone did care for you and you for him. If that is the case then I'd keep the box somewhere until I got in my next relationship (or other engaging activity; I got over a breakup after a long time by my job changing and the engagement with my new coworkers, etc.). I wouldn't fret over it though, i'd just accept it as if it were a chunk of my past I wanted to keep, like a picture I painted from second grade :-)

Or, you can decide to take a chance, get rid of the box and its contents and explore your own thoughts and feelings and ideas of what you'd like your life to be like. You can accept you are alone (and could be lonely) and use the time and space to explore yourself and what you want.

Neither one is better or worse, right or wrong, it just makes thinking about the box and its contents easier and gets them out of your way?