Did You Lose Your “Co-Rememberer?”

“The pleasure of remembering had been taken from me, because there was no longer anyone to remember with. It felt like losing your co-rememberer meant losing the memory itself, as if the things we’d done were less real and important than they had been hours before.”

John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

I can’t say I had encountered the term “co-rememberer” until I read the quote above. Possibly you lost a “co-rememberer” of a specific season of your life, such as former teammate with whom you shared a common goal and accomplishments. You may, however, have lost a “co-rememberer” of a lifetime. One example of this could be a parent who has, not only known you from birth til now, but maybe that parent has remained an integral part of your life, possibly becoming your closest friend after you reached adulthood. Maybe your “co-rememberer” was your spouse, with whom you shared your hopes, dreams, pains, sorrows, for the majority of your life? What about a sibling? A sibling may be your playmate in childhood, your rival in your teen years and your best encourager in adulthood, being a part of your life for longer than a parent, spouse or child.

The loss of a “co-rememberer” is loss of your history and a loss you will need to work through. If this is the case for you, how have you attempted to capture the shared memories, so they will not be lost forever? Maybe you have created a scrapbook or a memory box, in which you have placed special pictures, sayings, clippings, and other memorabilia. Any other suggestions? If you have any, please place in the comment box below, so others can benefit from your activity or ritual.