Hey Pandas, What’s Your Most Cherished Memory With A Loved One Who’s Passed?

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My Aunt Ruth really shaped who I am. Less a favorite memory, more of a favorite person. She was the only person I'm my life who saw me. I'm adopted by family and I felt often like I didn't belong. She made me feel like I mattered. She taught me to be me. She was an amazing woman and I miss her terribly. Before she passed away I was able to share with her how thankful I was that she supported me and that she helped me be me.

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2points

Daune Tullina

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Growing up, a lonely boy in a nasty household, my 6-month-old Boxer dog puppy Sandy crawled on my lap, gave me the most purely loving look, then gave me the lightest lick. This was the first time I felt loved. He saved my life. Sandy (1965 to 1976), I miss him everyday.

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2points

Richard Graham

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There are so many things about my mom, but I never forget this one. There were many times, growing up, when we didn't have any money to spare at all. I must have been five or six and there was a store in our neighborhood that sold women's clothing. In the window was a little cream-colored leather purse. I remember it vividly, it was not at all high class or even that well-made. I loved it, I thought, in my little girl mind, that it was the most elegant thing I'd ever seen. I didn't mention it because it seemed so beyond my reach. My mom must have seen my longing and saved for I don't know how long. She bought me that silly little cream-colored purse. Just a great mom and I miss her so much.

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2points

catpanda

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i grew up in the san francisco bay area where every early october, the navy and the city have "fleet week". i have always been VERY interested in ships and the sea. when i was in the 6th grade (1980) my dad heard that there were ships giving tours. he couldn't drive but persuaded my older brother to drive us to one of the ships. we missed it by ten minutes. i remember my dad begging with the guard at the gate to just allow me to walk down the pier so i could get a close look at the ship. but rules are rules. he died two years later in february 1982 at the age of 61.

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1point

Major Harris

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It was during the last conversation my brother and I had with our Nan. She had had a stroke almost a year before, so she was physically and mentally gone. But she had some memories. We were talking about spiders, when she said: "Debbies afraid of spiders." We were surprised cos she showed that she had retained some of her memories. She then said: "I remember one spider, it was huge. I had him on my chest and I was stroking him and he was purring his eyes out." My Granddad said: "I think that was a cat, Joe." And she replied: "No, it was a spider." She passed a few months later and my Granddad after her about a week and half later. No matter how sad I feel at their passing, I always remember that conversation and it makes me smile.

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1point

reuben kift

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I was in 4th grade when COVID hit so bad, and so school in 5th grade was kind of wonky. The couple of weeks between Thanksgiving break and
Winter break, a lot of kids were out sick. One day there was only 4 of us in the class. Me, my very close friend Sebastian, and 2 other people. I was getting bullied by a couple of kids in the class, but they all were gone that day and the 2 other kids were pretty nice mostly. For our ELA section of the day we were talking about theme and plot, so we watched some of those Pixar shorts and wrote about them.

Since there was only 4 of us, we finished very quickly. We then watched some more Pixar and Disney clips from movies. Eventually it just turned to us taking turns choosing Disney songs, and we all sang and danced. I remember it as one of the most carefree days of the year, dancing with my best friend and not worrying about being teased. This was a couple weeks before he passed, and I still remember it fondly from time to time.

It’s been almost 4 years, and I still cry myself to sleep at least once a month. I live in a different city, I have multiple friends, and I’m not getting bullied anymore, but I would go back to those lonely, anxiety filled days if I could see him one more time and say goodbye. The months following his death were the worst of my life, but I distinctly remember the carefree joy I felt in those moments, bouncing around to When Will My Life Begin.

Gosh, I miss him so much. I’m gonna go cry now 🥲

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1point

nonbean

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Why this type of euphemism? The person died; is dead. I think this is a really harmful of dressing things up, and it definitely doesn't help children, in particular, understand what death is and that it is part of life, whatever the circumstances. We will never build resilience with young people otherwise. It's not a question of scare tactics or causing excessive distress, but everyone needs to be able to come to terms with something that has happened.

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Hannah

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my boxer, evie. yeah, most people think of other people but for me this was one loved one that left a hole that no other will ever fill. she came to me around 3 months old as she had dragged herself into my garage to basically die. when i found her i had no intention of keeping but took her to the vet. after she recovered she was in her forever home.

when she was around 13 i had been having a lot of stress and just needed to get some quiet time. a family member had a cabin in the woods by a lake and offered it to me for the weekend. evie and i would take long walks in the woods every day but the best part was playing hide and seek. she would trot off to investigate something and i would hide and then watch her nose go to work following my scent. when she found me we would jump and celebrate. yes...silly, i know. but, when i think of her i think of that time when the snow was on the ground and we just walked and played by the lake. i miss her every day and it's been 16 yrs.

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