Fighting Against Forgetting: Remembering the Places Where My Relationship With My Father Came Into Being
Published online on October 19, 2016
Abstract
When cancer took my dad’s last breath, I was left with the fear that all the dark memories of our relationship might crowd out and overshadow some of my delightful son–father memories. Haunted by the fear of forgetting all those "good" memories, focusing on where they were created, I write into being some of the beautiful moments I want to preserve. Providing examples from my work of memory, the purpose is to show that we do not need to start with dark backgrounds before brighter futures can emerge. What happens when only mundane, beautiful memories are preserved is also considered.