The Memory Keeper

A poem and a ritual for grievers.

From my heart to yours...

In my work as an end-of-life doula, a hospice and palliative care nurse, and in my own journey of grieving, I have discovered the gentle power of ritual and ceremony. Poetry offers me comfort, simple rituals help me feel grounded, and when I share these practices, for myself and for others walking similar paths, I can see the quiet strength in being held. I offer these words to you as an invitation: take what resonates, leave what doesn’t, and allow yourself to find the comfort that feels right for you.

xo

Gabby

The Memory Keeper

Grief sits beside me

but so does love

folded into the small corners of my memory

where your voice still hums

where your touch still lingers

I walk with both the ache and the gift of what remains

it is my memory of you that softens the sharp edges

that steadies me when silence feels too loud

I am the memory keeper…

the one who carries your light forward

and who lets your story breathe through mine

and in the holding of the memory

I am held too

A Reflection for the Memory Keeper:

Sit quietly and close your eyes.

Breathe in slowly, and let yourself feel the presence of the one you love.

Call to mind a single memory that makes you smile, or that feels like their essence.

Notice how it warms you, even through the ache of loss.

Whisper to yourself:

“I am the memory keeper. And in the holding of the memories, I am held too."

Allow yourself to stay in that moment for a few breaths, letting the memory both hold you and be held by you.

When grief rises, return here, always returning to the lantern of memory, soft against the dark.

xo

Gabby

Optional Ritual:

1. Light a candle and place a photo, flower, or object that reminds you of them nearby.

2. Read your mantra from the poem out loud, slowly, letting each line settle into you.

3. Close with a quiet intention: “I carry you forward in love, and I allow myself to be carried by it.”

4. Extinguish the candle if you wish, or leave it burning as a symbol of a memory held.