Those who mourn tremendous losses know that the rupture is ongoing and often cannot be contained by marking a single anniversary. When was the last celebration we shared? When did they first get sick? When did hospice start? When was the last time we spoke? Marking several dates can be painful, but also sometimes enlivening. The annual moments of memory provide ongoing connection to relationships that would otherwise begin to fade. They allow us to keep the memory alive and ever present. To love someone who has died is to be in a constant state of longing for them. The longing is the relationship.
