There is a special dish in my china cabinet that my children know I use when we have company. As I take it from the cabinet shelf and carry it to the kitchen, I can hear my mom’s voice. I think about her while I’m filling the plate with food and her face becomes a clear vision in my mind. I’ve held on to that dish knowing it was one of the last gifts she gave me before she was too ill to go to the store.
Displayed on my living room end table is a book about wine. To people that don’t know, it’s a standard coffee table entertainment book; a conversation starter or just part of the decor. For me, that book is so much more. My dad gave it to me for Christmas one year. One glance at that book and I hear his voice, his laugh, the nicknames he had for me, and him telling stories of my childhood.
Each morning I start my day with coffee, in a cup that says “#Vietnamese”. Adam bought me that cup to celebrate our upcoming voyage to Vietnam. That cup says more than the writing it bears. It says someone loved me so deeply he wanted to take me home. If I close my eyes as I sip from that cup, I can see Adam sitting across from me as he did for our daily morning coffee conversations.
In my dresser drawer is a scribbled note that says, “Hi, Babe. Miss you, but saw you in my daydreams.” He had left it on the counter for me to find when I got home from work. I saved it that day because it was such as sweet expression of his love. Little did I know that later, it would be me seeing him in my daydreams everyday after he was gone.
Our loved ones leave behind treasures for us to have after they are gone. As we cling to these treasures we, keep their memory close to our hearts, replay magical moments, feel deep emotions and hold on for another day. It’s taught me to slow down, breathe, enjoy and take in the moment because someday this may become a treasure for me or for someone who loves me.
~Kim
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Kim Libertini is all too familiar with grief and the Co-Founder of Goodgrief App, the social network for loss available for less than a latte, for download in the App Store, Google Play and www.goodgriefapp.com. You can follow Goodgrief App on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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