Daughter made a heartbreaking request of dying mom — now she hears it every day

Losing a parent can feel like a permanent dent in your soul, making it difficult to cope with the void their absence leaves in your life. However, the memories are what help us immensely in the process of moving ahead and dealing with the grief. An Alabama-based digital creator, Katerina Finck — who goes by the username @katerinafinck on Instagram — shared a video where she is creating a memory with her mom, who has incurable stage 4 cancer.

In the video, Katerina and her mom spend one of their last moments together creating a lasting memory that will help her keep her mother alive in her heart forever. She asks her mom to say “I love you, Katerina” into a voice recorder while she replies “I love you, Mommy.” Katerina, who is in her 20s, talks about the hardships she has faced with her mum’s passing and how it is difficult to cope with it, especially at her age, since her mom was the only person she would go to at the end of every day to relieve her tension.

She shared another video three days before the passing of her mother, where the mother-daughter duo made pottery to cherish their bond before she left for good. They painted sunflowers on raw clay mugs and decorated the insides before they got them glazed. She also wrote a Mother’s Day letter and posted a video of her reading it, where she mentioned how heartbreaking it was for her not to have her around. From expressing her love towards her mom to expecting that it would reach her in heaven above, she teared up while reading the soul-crushing letter.

Katrina’s emotional videos with her mom are proof enough that making memories is essential to the fabric of inevitable grief. It serves as an untouched moment of sunshine in what may feel like a flood of tears once a loved one has passed. It also highlights how spending time together before they leave can be a wholesome experience. A study by Justina Pociunaite and others highlights, “Remembering those who are gone serves important purposes in the daily life of bereaved individuals.” It adds, “Why we remember our lost loved ones is strongly related to emotional qualities of memories and the individual bereavement reaction.”

An article by Walker Funeral & Cremation Service suggests, “Memories play a crucial role in the grieving process, offering solace and a sense of connection to loved ones who have passed away. As we navigate through grief, recalling shared experiences and moments of joy helps keep the departed's spirit alive, providing comfort during a challenging time.” It adds that memories can help in “preserving the legacy of a loved one,” making it echo through generations to come.

After watching the emotional video, viewers had a lot to say — @kimberlylizabeth wrote, “She’s with you forever baby,” while @njbohlings advised, “That's precious. Please make sure you re-record it on a few devices so you always have that, sweetheart.” @_katy_rb shared, “I have a tiny 3-second recording of my dad’s voice on my Nintendo DS from when I was a kid. I will never ever get rid of that game system for that reason alone,” and @bellebrownlee expressed, “You and your mum are both such beautiful girls best wishes.”

You can follow Katerina Finck (@katerinafinck) on Instagram for more wholesome content.