On this day of remembrance for loved ones lost, most reflect on absent individuals and their impact upon our lives. For me and some others, there is no reflection because a memory was never formed. I speak of the loss of something never possessed. My father died when I was six months in utero. I never met the man, have no memory to reflect upon. This day has always been a day of wonderment for me. I wonder what he was like. I wonder what traits I have that were gifted from him. I wonder what my childhood would have been like had he been a participant. I wonder who I would be now had my father lived to help mold me. I wonder these things in contemplation sometimes. On Memorial Day, it's usually a wonderment with some sadness. I cannot miss what I never had. Though perhaps illogical, I reflect on the many times in my life when I had wondered what that moment would have been like if I had a father...or the memory of one. It's a very subtle difference, but treasure the memories you have AND that you have memories. On Memorial Day I reflect, not on the memory of a man, but rather on the times in my life when I wished I had a memory to remember.
