# You own the memory now

**🟢 Beginner · Lesson 41**

YOU own the memory now - not the GC. A DI runtime HOLDS what it builds: your `unique` instance lives in the conduit's creations store, so dropping YOUR variable frees nothing - Python's garbage collector cannot collect what the world still references. This is the trade every DI-style tool makes: the runtime manages your objects, so YOU must end their lifecycles. cleanup() is not ceremony - it is how memory comes back. This lesson PROVES it with a weakref (a watcher that answers "is the object still alive?" without keeping it alive).

## Before you run

Use the [Beginner guide](../../beginner/index.md) for prerequisite concepts. Run from a checkout with Melder installed and Python 3.14 free-threading selected. The collection download includes the level's local helper modules.

## Run the saved script

```bash
python UX_and_AIX_experiences/01_beginner/41_you_own_the_memory_now.py
```

```powershell
py -3.14t UX_and_AIX_experiences/01_beginner/41_you_own_the_memory_now.py
```

{download}`Download this collection <../../downloads/beginner-examples.zip>` · [Source on GitHub](https://github.com/Synaptic724/melder/blob/1211e838099a342c9dde48f064b1e772b6060e13/UX_and_AIX_experiences/01_beginner/41_you_own_the_memory_now.py)

## Public surface

the lifecycle law - meld, del, cleanup, and who
                   really holds the object

## Code

```{literalinclude} ../../downloads/01_beginner/41_you_own_the_memory_now.py
:language: python
:linenos:
```

## Check the outcome

The script contains its own assertions or demonstrated refusal paths. Run it to evaluate those checks against your installed version. The code above is taken directly from the saved file; no run output is invented here.

[More beginner examples](index.md) · [Level guide](../../beginner/index.md)

## Related guides

- [Cleanup and memory ownership](../../beginner/cleanup.md)