It is true that when a loved one dies, the suffocating fear for most is that we will, in the days, months, and years ahead, forget them. The joy in their laughs will be lost and the sweetness of their perfume will fade.
It chokes sleep out of our nights and traps us in the doorways of empty bedrooms. We smother ourselves in musty t-shirts in an attempt to breathe in their memories. Fear hijacks moments of happiness, then drowns us in guilt in moments of celebration. It is endless, it seems.
Also true though, is that when we allow it to, memories can be triggered often. Symbols surround us and can connect us to the things that brought us joy. A shooting star transports us to a night cuddled on a dock. Toasted pecans awaken memories of baking cookies with a child now gone.
A song. A smell. A sign. What if these symbols weren’t coincidences? What if these triggers were carefully planned and purposely placed for you simply to redirect you from grief? To connect you to your loved one?