What will you leave behind? "The Lantern of Lost Memories" by Sanaka Hiiragi

Continuing last week’s theme, the book "The Lantern of Lost Memories" invited me to think about the memories I might want to relive and take with me on my journey to the afterlife.

In the book, recently deceased souls enter a photo studio where a guide invites them to pick specific photos that represent key moments in their lives, one for every year lived. The pictures then get assembled into a lantern and lighted, so that the souls get to relive their most cherished moments as they move on to the next stage.

From Hatsue, having to pick out 92 pictures over Yakuza enforcer Waniguchi with his 47 pictures to poor little Mitsuru who only gets to pick 8, Hiiragi was able to really pull me into each story and root for every single one of them.

I wasn’t expecting the book to end as it did, and I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s beautiful as well as sad and poignant and it really made me think about myself and the role I play in other people’s lives.

What difference can I make while I’m here? And, at the end, which memories would I like to revisit and will it be happy as well as impactful ones?

I feel like I still have a lot of work to do before I can go, to be properly grateful to all those who helped me to where I am today.

What about you?