Cherish Them

After your parents are gone, there will be no one left in this world who can fully recount what you were like as a child. When you learned to walk, who you called out to first, how much you cried on your first day of school — these are things you've long forgotten, but they remembered them for a lifetime. They took with them not just themselves, but also the memories of your childhood that no one else can clearly articulate for you. You, too, lost the version of yourself that was cherished and held in their hands. A part of them will continue to live on in you, but the child in your life, deeply loved by them, will forever remain in the past. It turns out that losing your parents isn't just about losing the people who loved you most in this life; it's also about losing the self that they remembered and protected. If your parents are still with you, please cherish them.