In one of my increasingly brief moments of clarity, it occurred to me that r/c models are very much like pets. You need to accept that they are only with you for a limited time.
Some, like my scratch built herring boat, are like a tortoise. It will probably be around long after I'm gone...
Then there is my little tug, "King Koil"... It is like a horse. Useful, dependable, but at some point you know it will need to be put down.
A scratch built plane like the Chipmunk I'm building now is like a dog; you hope it will be a companion for a good long time, and that as a pilot you won't do the aviation equivalent of sending into the road to play
Foamies and the like are the hamsters of the radio controlled world. They are cute and fun, but prone to "shuffling off this mortal coil" for reasons known only to the EPO deities..
Accepting that makes flying/boating/driving all the more enjoyable. Savor your time with your models now, tomorrow they may be gone!