Dear Abby: A few days ago I received a large white envelope from a friend I had been close to in high school. “Jen” returned every letter, card and note I had written to her throughout our four years of school. She thanked me for being a good friend and thought I might like to have them.

I can’t tell you how upsetting it was to read how awful I was as a teenager. I was promiscuous, used foul language and made references to experimenting with drugs. It brought back so many terrible memories that I had blocked.

I have been married for 23 years and have three children who would be crushed if they discovered my past.I can’t bring myself to throw them away and have hidden them in my hope chest. What should I do with them? — Secrets of the Past

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