"We are also what we have lost"

"All the people that I've lost—and I've lost a lot—I keep them with me. And it makes life that much happier. About six or seven years ago, I saw the perfect shirt for Fred, my late husband. I started paying for it before I even realized what I was doing. And then I bought it anyway. I just keep them all with me because life doesn't have to be so lonely. You know, if you shut everybody out just because they die, then what's it all for?"

__ Patti Smith: What I’ve Learned