The Rememberers

The Rememberers

Here is the second preview of a reflection from my book. This is a reflection from March 2023.

March 2, 2023

I saw a post on Facebook the other day that really caught my eye. It was about being the Rememberers. Those who are left behind but keep the memories of loved ones alive and share them with others. The Rememberers share the stories so they don’t get lost over generations. What a wonderful word – Rememberers! I don’t know who wrote the post, but I would love to be able to tell them how profound it was.

Being a Rememberer is an honour and a serious commitment. I am a Rememberer for my Dad and for my son, Mikael. I am not alone in this task and I have many friends and family who are also taking on the role of Rememberer. It is important to note that when bereaved parents such as myself regularly talk about our child and our grief, it is not to draw attention to ourselves, but rather to ensure that our child is never forgotten. To ensure that the stories about who they were continue on and that their names are not left in the past.

To be a Rememberer is not to pretend those we are remembering are perfect people with no flaws. It is to embrace everything about them and then to focus on the very best of them and share those memories.

I will take Mikael with me in my heart and in my thoughts and with my words for as long as I am in this world. I will be his Rememberer.

 January 12, 2024

Looking back at this reflection, I think I can say that I have done Mikael proud in being his Rememberer. I speak of him often to others and share stories of who he was. He has not been forgotten and I have seen the different ways that he is remembered. One of those ways has been through United Fighters and The Core Health and Fitness. Their yearly workouts in memory of Mikael and to raise money for Mental Health and Addictions is so very appreciated.  

Strutting his stuff!

One of the things I remember about Mikael and want to share today is his wonderful sense of humour. I am sharing this picture from a time when he was living in Toronto. He needed a job when he got there and knew he couldn’t be picky. The first job he found was at this restaurant where he is posing as the chicken! True to form, Mikael had a sense of humour about it and embraced the role! Although he found another job very quickly, he rocked this chicken suit for the time he had to wear it! This sense of humour and ability to laugh at himself is something that I really miss about Mikael. The ability to laugh at yourself comes from a true sense of humility and this is something Mikael had. He was also just really funny and could always make me laugh along with him. I sure miss the sound of his laughter.