After the loss of my parents, what I miss most is that I can't remember the sound of their voices.
- LuAnn Williams
Writing about loss requires courage to delve into painful feelings. Friends and family leave us in a variety of ways. Individuals create distance by geography or emotion. Memories color our regrets, frustrations, and longing for relationships that have ended.
Some connections evolve over time. Often we re-attach or re-discover the lost ones. Or, we grow from the former affiliation and strengthen in pursuit of future alliances. In the interval, memories bridge the gaps. We gain wisdom within the pain.
When searching for a voice to recall a dear friend, I listen with my inner ear for her laughter. The rise and fall of her voice had an operatic quality. Sounds of her wonder when watching the flight of a seabird flitter through my thoughts. Her words of advice and admonishment always resounded within a melody of love.
My father's chuckle still dances in my ears. Piano tunes remind me of my mother's fingers on the keys.
Recalling voices and sounds sparks memories of friends who cannot return in person.
Creative Write: Write beyond a painful place. Use sounds and voices to detail your writing. Notice if you gain insights along the way. Let the pain ease as the words tumble from your thoughts.
