How we remember loved ones

I went to a funeral last week, and it got me thinking about how we remember loved ones after they have passed. After they’re gone, what do we really have left of them?

Background

It was my uncle on my mother’s side’s funeral. He technically died of an aneurism, but he also got COVID-19 in the hospital.

However, I think COVID-19 is what led to his untimely demise. He was overweight, had diabetes, cholesterol, and high blood pressure (pretty much the royal flush of lifestyle diseases) and he didn’t really take care of himself. That is why I think COVID-19 played a role.

Afterward, we got together at my aunt’s house. We ate and talked, and at one point my dad wanted to take pictures of the family. I think that’s quite a morbid thing to do at a funeral, but anyway, he’s weird like that.

That’s when my cousin said that we should take more pictures of our family because when your loved ones are gone, that’s all you have left of them.

I’m in a precarious position where I have more than just pictures, I have recordings.

We are a family of storytellers

My dad’s side of the family are skilled storytellers, especially my dad and uncle (before he passed).

A few years ago, I thought it would be a good idea to record a few of my uncle’s stories when we visited him on the farm. The recordings didn’t have great sound quality, but they would do.

Not long after that visit, his health started to deteriorate. He passed away in 2016 and I had a hard time dealing with his passing because he was my favourite uncle.

At the beginning of this year, I started recording all my dad’s stories, intending to turn it into a book or something later. They’re stories about my dad’s childhood on the farm, when he was in the army, at university, and all kinds of cool stories he had heard along the way.

I also discovered those recordings of my uncle on my laptop (I thought I had lost it). I listened to them again, and although I miss him, it didn’t hurt as much to hear his voice again. Those were fond memories of him.

I also gave those recordings to my cousin, her dad, on a memory stick and she was in tears.

The meaning in a voice

I think a voice recording carries so much more meaning and memories than just a photograph. When you hear their voice and their laugh again, you can see them in your mind’s eye. It helps you to treasure their idiosyncrasies better, in my opinion.

Many people say they wish they could just hear a loved one’s voice again, and I could do that.

If you think about it, the best thing you can do is to take videos of your loved ones – then you get the best of voice recordings and photos.

How do you remember your loved ones who are no longer here? Let me know in the comments.

‘Meh’ is probably not the best sign-off for this post.

All the best,

Michelle

P.S. If you’d like to contact me, feel free to comment below, send an email to thatmichelleperson@gmail.com, or follow me on Twitter @M_ClutterBox.