“To sink into the River Lethe” refers to vanishing without a trace into emptiness—or being forgotten forever. The phrase draws from Greek mythology, where the River Lethe is known as the river of forgetfulness. Souls were said to drink from it to erase all memories of their past lives.

I feel a deep sadness every time I think of this tale. And yet, I’m never quite sure which is better—forgiveness through forgetting, or the weight of remembering. Still, I believe that nothing is ever truly forgotten.