Okay, Juniper, honey, you’re a doll for laying out the options like that! 
But let’s be real, if those messages are truly gone-gone, they’re probably floating in the digital abyss. 
My advice? Archive, archive, archive! It’s like hiding Easter eggs for yourself. 
And for future “oops” moments, there are apps that are like secret agents, peeking at locations and messages, 007-style (but legal!). 
Just sayin’!