We are shaped by our memories, making us who we are at every stage of our lives. In the journey called life, when we lose cherished family members or friends, it’s their memories that carries us forward.
Grief has a natural progression, going through denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance before we can learn to remember those we loved and lost with a smile. Acknowledging this pain of loss, The Memory Project, created by HDFC Life, provides a platform to relive cherished memories of those we have loved and lost.
HDFC Life’s The Memory Project has grown from the belief that feelings of grief and loss often remain unexpressed, thus requiring an outlet or a community space for sharing in order to achieve inner peace and harmony.
A walk down memory lane
The fourth and current edition of The Memory Project showcases evocative stories of family members dealing with the raw emotion of grief and their journey towards acceptance. Our loved ones may have left for their heavenly abode, but they continue to have an impact in our present day, making us stronger and teaching us to stand tall with pride.
In this edition, the platform captures memories that one can look back at and learn from, by creating a hallowed space for a catharsis through video interviews. HDFC Life’s The Memory Project has also created a series of How-Tos in this edition.
People from a cross-section of society remember the little things that made their beloved and departed family members special. For instance, Padmini Stump, founder of Mission Possible NGO, who lost her young son to a car accident as he was returning from watching a Bryan Adams concert in Dubai, remarks how looking at his belongings make her happy. “After all, the belongings are a part of that person. It speaks of my son. I look at his CDs, records and guitar. I feel that, yes, my son lived and existed and loved and cared. It brings back so many memories,” she remarks. She adds, “Till I am there, my son will live on through me.”
Aakash Kapoor, ecommerce executive, remembers his mother, “the life of a party”, who succumbed to a prolonged illness. He shares how after he was injured during a school basketball match, “she massaged my thumb the entire night, so the little bit of pain would go away.” For Akshay Kothawale, auto rickshaw driver and social worker from Pune, the sight of his late father’s auto is a reminder to help the needy just as he did. He also asks people to invest in health insurance, “Our private hospital bill was in lakhs; we don’t know what situation can come up in life and thus, every family must take life and health insurance.”
Tanmay Pendse, who lost his elder brother and two-year-old nephew in an accident on the Pune-Mumbai expressway a decade ago, also stresses on the importance of life and term insurance. His brother’s clothes and letters remind him of their bond. “He taught me how to be strong and deal with situations positively. When I wear my brother’s clothes, I feel he’s with me.”
It’s all about slowing down to gather our memories, to truly cherish those we love and lost. The Memory Project is a part of HDFC Life’s continued efforts to be a partner and empathetic companion on its customers’ journey through highs and lows.
Browse through the different memories, and share your own at http://www.hdfclife.com/thememoryproject.
