Introducing “Remembering Our Parents”

Inside: Do you have fond memories of a parent who is no longer with us? Welcome to Remembering Our Parents, an Instagram community built around stories just like yours. Keep reading to learn more and discover easy ways to participate. ~

When my parents died within five weeks of each other in 2019, one of the things that helped me wade through the deepest parts of the aftermath was talking about them to people who were kind enough to listen.

Friends who also knew them, my GriefShare group, a counselor, my immediate and extended family. Not everyone wanted to go there, of course, but those who did—who let me talk and acted interested—gave me a precious gift.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I do now.

Not Just “Part of Life”

Losing a parent is one of those things you can’t fully understand until you’ve experienced it. Losing both parents, likewise. Even then, each experience is different, each set of circumstances unique, each journey through grief individualized.

Before, I was sympathetic but just sort of considered it a normal part of life, at least when the parents were older. Now, of course, I see things differently.

Sometime after my mom died, perhaps in the days leading up to the 1-year anniversary of her death, I saw an Instagram post that touched me deeply. Someone posted a picture of her mom with a caption that said something like this: “She’s been gone 17 years and I still think of her every day.”

This Instagram friend—someone I’ve never met in person—taught me a valuable lesson that day. She helped me understand there is no expiration date on missing someone we’ve known and loved our entire lives.

It’s been four years and the grief has softened considerably. But I still love talking about my parents. Perhaps you do too, no matter how long it’s been since your mom or dad (or both) died.

A Place to Remember

Not everyone has happy memories of their parents who have passed away. There’s no shame in that—life can be complicated, to say the least.

For those of us who do remember our parents or in-laws fondly, though, what if there was a place where we could share stories about them with other people who also have lost a parent? Not a grief site or a support group, but a place to reflect and remember together?

Maybe something about how your dad used to cut up blocks of ice cream with a knife and serve it as rectangles on a plate. Or how your mom used to grab every new person who darkened the door of the church and invite them to Sunday dinner. Or that one thing your dad told you that repeats in your mind whenever you are facing a struggle or anxious event or don’t know what to do.

Gone But Not Forgotten

If this interests you, I want to invite you to check out a new Instagram account called @RememberingOurParents. Built around follower stories, this space is for all of us who have parents and parents-in-law who are gone but definitely not forgotten.

Here’s how the account bio explains it:

Our parents. We loved them. We miss them. We want others to know how much they meant to us.

That’s what this space is all about—remembering our parents.

By doing so, we honor their lives. We share their wisdom. And we encourage each other as we continue on without them.

How You Can Participate

If you’re on Instagram, follow the account. Encourage friends who also have lost parents to follow too. And, most importantly, please consider sharing a story of your own.

It’s super easy, whether you are on Instagram or not.

1. Answer a Question

First, answer ONE question from the following list in 200 words or less, using the appropriate title for your situation. (Click Story Prompts to download these questions in a printable PDF.)

• I think of my mom whenever …
• My dad always used to say …
• I love this picture of me with my mom because …
• My mother-in-law was really good at …
• My dad taught me …
• The most amazing (interesting, unique, beautiful, etc.) thing about my mom was …
• I remember when my dad …
• What I appreciated most about my father-in-law was …
• One spiritual lesson I learned from my mom was …
• My favorite memory of my dad is …

Don’t worry about how you “sound.” Write your answer from your heart, as if you were sharing it with a person sitting right next to you.

2. Find a Photo

Next, choose a favorite picture of you with your parent, at any point in your lives.

3. Submit Your Story

Finally, submit your story and photo using this link: Story Submission Form

If you don’t have a Google account, you can email your story and photo to rememberingourparents@gmail.com. If you have any questions, feel free to ask via email or in the comment section below.

Your parents’ lives mattered. Your memories of them matter too.

Let’s keep those memories alive as we remember our parents together.

♥ Lois

P.S. I’m linking up this week with Inspire Me Monday, #tellhisstory, InstaEncouragements, Let’s Have Coffee and Grace & Truth.

The fine print: All submissions to Remembering Our Parents are published upon approval. Posts are edited for style and consistency. Publication is not an endorsement of the beliefs or worldview of the contributor.