In 2023, novelist Anne Enright revisited her childhood home, reminiscing about her past and the painting she once made in her father’s garage. Reflecting on the process of saying goodbye to old belongings and memories, she ponders whether discarding items her parents had saved over the years might aid in her mourning. Her father never reproached her for her painting, a memory that now forms part of her emotional attachment to the house. The article explores themes of nostalgia, loss, and the emotional complexities tied to the process of clearing a family home.