The Value of Memorializing
Not too long ago I had the chance to visit the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center in New York City. Words fail to describe the sheer power of that site.
My son was with me that morning and I found myself stumbling through an appropriate way to explain to a child where we were and what we were witnessing. We talked about how all of those names etched in stone are names of people who are no longer with us. He was curious why there were two square holes with waterfalls in the middle of lower Manhattan. I had him look up and try and picture what once towered overhead. In delicate terms, I tried to describe how on a morning many years ago there was a great tragedy and those towers were badly damaged and came crashing down. We spoke about bravery and heroism. And we spoke about hurt and loss.
Someday, when he’s older, he will learn more about what happened on that day. But on the morning we visited the WTC I can see he knew that this was no ordinary place. He was somewhere special.
Memorials are an interesting part of life. We can encounter them in specific locations. We designate certain days to pause and reflect on people and events from the past. Or we privately engage in a form of remembrance of a cherished loved one we lost.
Memorials stand as the antithesis of a culture that prioritizes a frenzied rush to build the future for oneself. But while they may feel unique and force us to face hard realities and difficult feelings, they are a part of the human experience. Consider this account from the Old Testament:
“And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” Joshua 4:20-24
What do we memorialize?
Truths that are too valuable to be lost.
Events that were too costly to be forgotten.
People who had an impact on our lives that is beyond measure.
We memorialize because we owe it to ourselves and to our children. A memorial is something in the present that points simultaneously to the past and the future. It’s about not forgetting where we came from so we can be wise in where we are going. There is a great value to being tethered to the lessons of the past and the memory of those that have come before.
Honor the memorials in your life. Give them your time and attention. The benefits for you and your family may surprise you.
