A recent newspaper article reminded me of how quickly we can be forgotten.
I have often imagined the St. Vincent of the future as being a Brigadoon. Every 100 years, it will come back for a time, rising amidst the mists along the Red River. Nothing left but memories, but memories so strong, they materialize.
I also have imagined the St. Vincent Cemetery residents as characters like in Our Town's third act, remembering for a time who they were, but slowly forgetting. For a time, they hold conversations, remembering the past, looking onto the living, their comments both insightful and bittersweet.
And then there is me (Trip to Bountiful). I cannot let go of the powerful memories that invade my dreams and daytime thoughts, that compel me to write about the places and people who were, and are now gone. But no, they are not gone. They live in my memories. They live in many of your memories reading this. And for all we know, they live on past this life in a way we cannot yet comprehend.
Each one of us affects far more than we ever realize...