As we walked through the Hershey Gardens today after locating the tree placed there in Tori’s memory, I noticed all of the bricks and sculptures that had been placed in remembrance of a loved one throughout the gardens. 

I tried to read as many as I could as I was – for the first time ever – filled with a curiosity about the stories those bricks and sculptures represented.

Who were those people? What kind of a legacy did they leave? Did they live a long life? Were they loved and appreciated?

For the first time, I wondered about Tori’s tree and whether or not people will actually read the sign, and if they do, will they wonder about her? Will they perhaps Google her name to find out why such a young life is being memorialized in such fashion?

When people see her tree, will they wonder about her story, or will they just overlook it and walk on by?

Because she was so very important to us, it’s hard to think about people disregarding her tree and not wondering who she was. But, I was reminded today that I do it all the time to others. 

People have their loved ones’ names put onto bricks and other memorials so that they might be remembered and not forgotten, and we walk right by (or over in the case of the bricks), not even giving them a second glance.

While I cannot force people to read her name and wonder about our precious girl, I can make sure from now on to read such memorials and think about what they represent, knowing that the person must have been beloved for someone to have placed something like that in their memory. I can pray for those left behind – pray that they learn to love Jesus, love others, and leave a legacy that changes their family for the better.

Life is so very short, so let’s continue to love well and remember those who have gone on before us, however we choose to do so.