I am the Recounter. I remember things that were forgotten by all but a very few at a time so long ago that it is itself now forgotten. I am a thread of knowledge that has run through many lifetimes. Let me tell you why.

There are many reasons to forget. Many things are forgotten because they are painful. Even joyful memories are eroded by the many small events of each passing day like raindrops on stone. But there are understandings that are too valuable to forget.

Here is fine sand that was once a pile of stones. The fragments of stone were once one stone. The stone was once a weathered marker of someone's life. Before the stone was weathered, it bore the person's name. Once, on a damp gray morning, that person saw someone they loved go into danger and sang to give them courage. The love in that song was so pure and beautiful that it remains, though the singer and the beloved are now both gone.

When I tell you the story, you may remember that you know it too. I am the Recounter.