Most people’s inner lives are hidden behind a mist, like the trees in this picture. We all have lost people we love in our lives, and for me, it has always been emotional, not only for the fact that you can never speak with them again but more so for all the stories that are gone, buried with them.

Because life to me is a relatively predictable event, I like to embellish my own history and spin a propper story for me to remember and give life some ground and meaning. We probably all do that one way or another. When my grandmother died, she took with her a whole life of experiences, and we were left with only hints to them; her life story was gone. It made me sad that life made her keep all these stories to herself and sad that I never properly tried to talk to her about it. Because, I ask you: what is life but just a few great moments and emotions you experience. My grandmother’s most significant moments and wisdom are forever gone, and I wished she had shared them so they could live on in me and others.

I see value in a life that makes sense and does not just pass by, as Socrates said years ago: “an unexamined life is not worth living.” An “examined” life can be told in a few sentences and given as a gift to your loved ones when your time has come.