Why
is remembering your loved one so important?
Because
remembering brings healing.
Our memories are a special gift we are given after the loss of a loved one. For a while, they may not feel that way; they may only bring sadness and pain. For
so long, families grieving a loss were encouraged to
break ties with the one they lost and move on with their lives.
Fortunately for us, we've finally learned that there is no need to break ties and forget about
the ones we have loved, even if they are no longer with us.
New studies are showing that finding ways to remember and
hold on to the happy memories we had with our loved ones are,
in reality, a healthy part of living after loss, and an important step on the path towards healing our hearts.
I
wish I could tell everyone who has lost a loved one how important
it is to let themselves, and their family, remember. Forget,
if you can, the sickness, or tragedy that took them, but give
them a place in your life. My family speaks very naturally
of their father and their sister. We remember the fun, the
love, and the closeness.... We have memories to cherish, and
we shouldn't cheat ourselves by not doing that. I don't mean
that we should constantly talk about them, but when something
we're doing reminds us of something good that happened when
we were still a whole family, we don't hesitate to say so.
- Lettie Petrie, Bereavement
Magazine
Over
and over again, we've heard people grieving a loss talk about
their fear that others will forget their loved one. Even our
own memories may get fuzzy over time. But the very act of writing
down or telling our stories helps them become stronger in our
minds. And preserving them in a tangible form will ensure that
they will never be forgotten.
As you record your own memories
of your loved ones who are gone, search out the memories others
have of them as well. Find out what made them special to others.
In the stories you hear, you will find your own memories becoming
more real to you, helping to fill a little of the void you've
carried with you for so long.
Learn about one way you can preserve your own memories and invite others to share theirs as well using the iMemoryBook system to create a keepsake memorial tribute book.
Here
are a few links that tell about the experiences of others who
have recorded their memories of a loved one or searched out
others' memories:
This page is for you to share with us why you're here. What
prompted you to record your memories? How did it help you? E-mail
me and let me know, and I'll add it to this page.
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“Remembering the past makes hoping
for the future possible."
~ Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D., Center
for Loss
10% of all proceeds
from the videos are donated
to the Solace
House
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