TO THE ONES THAT WE LOST

Have you ever loved a song but disliked listening to it? That was, at some point, my situation with "Memories" by Maroon 5; it reminds me of lots of things that I hate to remember. The most painful of them are memories of the dead. "Toast to the ones here today, toast to the ones that we lost on the way"; that is the particular line that strikes me the most. Particularly, it reminds me of my dead aunt - my favourite aunt. If I dwell on the memories of my aunt and how this song causes me to flash back to so many things that used to be, I might lose the purpose of this writing. And so, I would not.

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I first heard the song in 2021, and I fell in love with it from that very day. Just like it is with me whenever I find a new favourite song, I listened to this song repeatedly, as if it was the only song on my playlist. At the time, the lyrics hadn't struck a chord; it was just the mere fact that it spoke of old memories that I vibed with. Eventually, it struck me, and I began flashing back to the memories I shared with loved ones who are no longer with me. The most prominent were those of my aunt and Amarachi, my childhood friend.

Beautiful memories have a way of putting smiles on the face of those who share them, but those smiles instantly turn into sadness if they were shared with a deceased relative or friend. Indeed, "toast to the ones that we lost on the way"; may their impact never be forgotten. Inasmuch as the sound of these kinds of songs brings about sadness to some extent, the fact that it helps us keep in mind what used to be must not be undermined. To me, it is worth it after all.

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Many are of the opinion that it does not take long before we eventually forget the dead - even the most beloved of them. It seems true, but not entirely. I think the memory only goes down to our subconscious; we eventually realise what has been lost when an event that has the tendency to resurface the past strikes us. "Memories" by Maroon 5 helped me realise that they are actually never forgotten; they are deep down in our subconscious, and songs like this are sometimes important in helping us feel what it used to be.

Inasmuch as it brings about sadness, it is beautiful to experience such sadness. It is absolutely normal for memories of lost ones to bring tears to our eyes, but that may not stop them from being beautiful. I think the word is "wistful"; a situation where the fact that the person is lost causes you to cry, while the beautiful memories you shared cause a smile to gradually creep in. Though tears might be involved, it is an amazing experience. "Memories" by Maroon 5 is one of those songs that brings such experiences to reality.

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