What is the importance of the envelope in which Emma places her mementoes of life with Jesse in the novel, One True Loves?

Emma's envelope of mementos is symbolic of the past. After Emma begins to emerge from her grief and mourning, she puts all of her photos, letters, and articles from her life with Jesse into an envelope. She does not resurrect it until Jesse resurfaces. The envelope is the container within which Emma is attempting to compartmentalize her past experiences and the pain they caused. When she and Jesse reopen the envelope, they are reopening the past. It is not until they do so that they can reconcile with and move beyond it.