“The times you lived through, the people you shared those times with — nothing brings it all to life like an old mix tape. It does a better job of storing up memories than actual brain tissue can do. Every mix tape tells a story. Put them together, and they can add up to the story of a life.” - Rob Sheffield
The loss of a loved one is something that one cannot come to terms with easily. The good times shared with them, the happy moments, the fights and most of all, the values we learnt from them are all something we will hold very close to our hearts. Now if you think about it your parents have been by your side since the day you were born. Losing them is one of the biggest setbacks in your life, but it’s also one of the greatest testaments to the values they’ve imparted to you over the years.
Your favourite memories with them comprise your lowest lows and your highest highs. The invaluable wisdom, positivity, unconditional love and faith, and stories of their own failures and successes are what remain with you when they’re gone. So, abiding by those values and lessons is the greatest gift you could give them. It’s the most comforting way to celebrate the life they’ve lived.
Acclaimed actress Divya Dutta misses the walks on the beach she used to take with her mother growing up. Those were some of her favourite memories of her. “Everything she wore used to be more or less purple. It was her favourite colour. So when I discovered some purple shells on the beach during one of my walks, I realized she was still there. It was a sign that she was still around me,” Dutta says.
Dutta is grateful to have a mother, who always believed in her dreams; who never judged her. “No matter how good or bad you are, she stands right there, by your side. And she says, if you fall, I’m there.”
Undoubtedly, loss isn’t easy. It’s always hard to prepare and cope with the loss of someone you love. In fact, the loss becomes even more complicated when we have to take care of the financial affairs and the other aspects associated with them. Preparing for the contingencies of losing a loved one are one of the many unexpected shocks of our lives.
At the time, the loss affects us all deeply and it is important to give it time to fully comprehend it, to come to terms with it and finally to heal from this. Mustering the courage to move on in life is crucial not only for you but for all the others in your present life. The best way to do this is to give it time. Time to feel the loss and thus heal from it.
No matter whom you’ve lost, when you commit to living a life of honesty, of unconditional love and faith, of kindness, of resilience, and of responsibility and ownership, you never let a day go by when they’re not with you. You bring them to life every single day through your actions and through your habits.
This is where The Memory Project comes in, as an ode to the loved ones that we have lost. The Memory Project, an initiative by HDFC Life has been created to help people cope with the loss of a loved one in the form of messages and more. They help you relive the memories, the moments and the values that you will have spent and learnt with your loved ones, that you have lost along the way during the journey we call life.
With The Memory Project, you get an opportunity to talk about your loved ones, the memories that you share about them and also relive the moments and times spent with them. More importantly, you relive the values that your loved ones have left behind. The lessons you may have learnt from them are perhaps some of the most important inheritances you could ever have. So come together and share the memories of loved ones through the values they left behind. Give your stories and be a part of The Memory Project – An HDFC Life Initiative.
