Mar 6, 2015

Sunday, March 8 marks the one-year anniversary of the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Without evidence that the plane crashed, it’s hard for family members to begin grieving and start to find closure, psychologists say. In the meanwhile, the grief, hope, anger — all the emotions they feel — are often wrapped up in the things the missing left behind — their clothes, their rooms, the smallest things.

“I’m not going to change or move anything, just let it be the way it is,” Lee Khim Fatt said of a wardrobe filled with his wife’s uniforms and other belongings. “I believe she will come home, and things will be just how it was before.” Lee’s wife, Foong Wai Yueng, 40, was a stewardess aboard the flight, which went off course and vanished March 8, 2014, on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Reporting by Joshua Paul, The Associated Press

: The bedroom of Andrew Nari, 50, in his house outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Nari was the Chief Steward aboard flight 370 when it disappeared March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Nari’s wife, Melanie Antonio, 46, says “nothing has changed” in their shared bedroom “besides the new shared wardrobe.” (AP Photo/Joshua Paul)

: Wang Zheng looks at the work room of his father Wang Linshi who was onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, at an apartment in Nanjing in eastern China’s Jiangsu province. For the past year, Wang Zheng has been avoiding one place: the modest apartment where his parents had been living for more 20 years until they vanished along with the ill-fated flight. Scrolls of paintings by his father are in piles in the living room, the guest bedroom, and the studio. Paintbrushes – their heads long dry – hang from a workstation in a row. In the kitchen, the floor and stove have collected a thin layer of dust. Wang Zheng, the only son of Wang Linshi and Xiong Deming, said he only comes into the apartment in this eastern Chinese city when absolutely necessary. (AP Photo/Peng Peng)

: Wang Zheng holds a collection of works by his father Wang Linshi, who was onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, at an apartment in Nanjing in eastern China’s Jiangsu province. For the past year, Wang Zheng has been avoiding one place: the modest apartment where his parents had been living for more 20 years until they vanished along with the ill-fated flight. Scrolls of paintings by his father are in piles in the living room, the guest bedroom, and the studio. Wang Zheng, the only son of Wang Linshi and Xiong Deming, said he only comes into the apartment in this eastern Chinese city when absolutely necessary. (AP Photo/Peng Peng)

: Part of a shared wardrobe filled with Foong Wai Yuengís clothes and personal belongings in her house outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Her husband , Lee Khim Fatt, says “Everything is the way it was since the day she left.” He says, “I’m not going to change or move anything, just let it be the way it is. I believe she will come home, and things will be just how it was before”. (AP Photo/Joshua Paul)

: A shoe box with the words “Andrew’s Nike Air written on it is placed on a shoe rack in Andrew Nari’s house outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Nari was the chief steward aboard flight 370, which disappeared March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. (AP Photo/Joshua Paul)

: One of Patrick Gomes’s luggage bags left untouched in his closet in his house outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Gomes, 56, was the in-flight supervisor aboard Malaysian Airlines flight 370 when it disappeared last March. (AP Photo/Joshua Paul)

: David Tan Size Hiang’s medium luggage bag, in his house outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Hiang’s wife, Elaine Chew says Hiang had his large bag with him aboard Malaysian Airlines flight 370 as he was supposed to go shopping for their daughter’s birthday during his trip last March. (AP Photo/Joshua Paul)

: One of David Tan Size Hiang’s old luggage bags in his house outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “I did not move it, so I just continue to stack stuff on top of it”, said Hiang’s wife, Elaine Chew. Hiang was a flight attendant who was aboard the Malaysian Airlines flight 370 when it disappeared last March, (AP Photo/Joshua Paul)

: A luggage bag belonging to Foong Wai Yueng, 40, a stewardess who was aboard Malaysian Airlines flight 370 when it disappeared last March, at her home in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Yueng’s husband, Lee Khim Fatt, 45, asked a friend to return the bag to him from the hotel where the Malaysia Airlines crew would stay in Beijing. Fatt says “her belongings are meant to be home and not missing somewhere.” Fatt says he tried to open the bag but unfortunately, didn’t know the pin code. (AP Photo/Joshua Paul)

: The bedroom of Patrick Gomes, 56, in his house outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Gomes was the in-flight supervisor aboard Malaysian Airlines flight 370 when it disappeared last March. Gomes’s shorts have been draped over the left corner of the bed frame since MH370 disappeared last year. Gomes’s wife, Jacquita Gomes, 53, says ìI left them there even though they are smelly now.î She says it “reminds me of him being here.” (AP Photo/Joshua Paul)

: The master bedroom of Foong Wai Yueng, 40, a stewardess who was aboard Malaysian Airlines flight 370 when it disappeared last March, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Yueng’s husband, Lee Khim Fatt, 45, says “I have not changed or moved anything except changing the sheets, as the kids have always slept with us here. But ever since that day, I sleep on the floor mattress with my son. It doesn’t feel the same, doesn’t feel right sleeping on the mattress without her beside me.” (AP Photo/Joshua Paul)

: The master bedroom of David Tan Size Hiang, 47, a flight attendant who was aboard Malaysian Airlines flight 370 when it disappeared last March, in his house outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Hiang’s wife, Elaine Chew, 36, says “I have not changed anything except the sheets. Our daughter has slept with us since the day she was born, now its just me and her.” (AP Photo/Joshua Paul)

: Patrick Gomes’s wardrobe in his house where he kept his uniforms outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Gomes’s wife, Jacquita Gomes, says she has left them just the way he left it. Patrick Gomes, 56, was the in-flight supervisor aboard Malaysian Airlines flight 370 when it disappeared last March. (AP Photo/Joshua Paul)

: Ink brushes belonging to Wang Linshi, a Chinese artist who was onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, lie disused at an apartment in Nanjing in eastern China’s Jiangsu province. Scrolls of paintings by Wang are in piles in the living room, the guest bedroom, and the studio. Paintbrushes – their heads long dry – hang from a workstation in a row. In the kitchen, the floor and stove have collected a thin layer of dust. (AP Photo/Peng Peng)

: The ironing board and iron of David Tan Size Hiang, 47, a flight attendant aboard MH370 in his house outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Hiang’s wife said he used to iron before going to work. (AP Photo/Joshua Paul)

: The handbag and table fan of Foong Wai Yueng, 40, in her house outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Yueng, 40, was a stewardess who was aboard Malaysian Airlines flight 370 when it disappeared last March. (AP Photo/Joshua Paul)

: The untouched bathroom of David Tan Size Hiang, 47, a flight attendant aboard the ill-fated flight MH370’s in his house outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Hiang’s wife, Elaine Chew said she has left the bathroom exactly how it was when he left for work aboard Flight MH370 last year. (AP Photo/Joshua Paul)

: The make shift chart marking the height of David Tan’s 6 year old daughter, Kylie, in their house outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tan’s wife, Elaine Chew said she and Tan used to alternate measuring Kylie, but she stopped doing it after the disappearance of flight MH370. ìI’ll just give her excuses as long as I can to escape from doing it, I don’t feel like it. I want David to come home and do it”, said Chew. (AP Photo/Joshua Paul)

: Patrick Gomes’s favorite spot on his family’s couch in his house outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Gomes was the in-flight supervisor aboard flight 370, which disappeared March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. (AP Photo/Joshua Paul)

: Ink brushes belonging to Wang Linshi, a Chinese artist who was onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, hang disused at an apartment in Nanjing in eastern China’s Jiangsu province. Scrolls of paintings by Wang are in piles in the living room, the guest bedroom, and the studio. Paintbrushes – their heads long dry – hang from a workstation in a row. In the kitchen, the floor and stove have collected a thin layer of dust. (AP Photo/Peng Peng)

: Wang Zheng holds an ink painting and calligraphy by his father Wang Linshi who was onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, at an apartment in Nanjing in eastern China’s Jiangsu province. For the past year, Wang Zheng has been avoiding one place: the modest apartment where his parents had been living for more 20 years until they vanished along with the ill-fated flight. Scrolls of paintings by his father are in piles in the living room, the guest bedroom, and the studio. Wang Zheng, the only son of Wang Linshi and Xiong Deming, said he only comes into the apartment in this eastern Chinese city when absolutely necessary. (AP Photo/Peng Peng)

: Ink paintings and calligraphy belonging to Wang Linshi, a Chinese artist who was onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, hang at an apartment in Nanjing in eastern China’s Jiangsu province. Scrolls of paintings by Wang are in piles in the living room, the guest bedroom, and the studio. Paintbrushes – their heads long dry – hang from a workstation in a row. In the kitchen, the floor and stove have collected a thin layer of dust. (AP Photo/Peng Peng)

: A spare name tag of Andrew Nari’s is placed onto his uniform in his house outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Nari who was married to Melanie Antonio, 46, and had two children, Maira Elizabeth Nari, 19, and Malcomn Radeng Nari, 14, was the Chief Steward aboard flight 370, which disappeared March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. (AP Photo/Joshua Paul)

Items left behind: Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

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