My connection to "No one's ever really gone" and why that line means so much to me

Just a personal post I wanted to share with you guys.So out of all the memorable moments I enjoyed in The Last Jedi, the one that really struck me the most was when Luke handed Leia Han's lucky dice, uttering the words to her"No one's ever really gone"I openly bawled in the theater. Obviously, the reuniting of Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher was a part of it, but I knew it was deeper.My grandfather passed away when I was three years old. I never got to know him, but was named after him and have often been compared to him for several years. I've always felt his comforting presence with me all of my life. It got to the point that my final year of art school (Photography Major), that I finally answer the question I've wanted to know for so long...who was he?I was passed down several photographs, film, and artifacts of his, along with interviewing everyone who knew him best to get a deeper understanding of who he was. I heard his voice for the first time, read his words, looked at his photographs, ect.The one thing of his that I've always had though, was a teddy bear he gave me the year before he passed. It was also the only small memory I have of him. The bear has always sat in my room, but I never played with it. I would sit next to it and gaze into its eyes many times, in a way of comforting myself. To me, that bear is him, always watching over me as I grow, struggle, and thrive. And now being the new holder of his archive, every object; every photograph feels much different. I can feel him next to me when I hold onto these things.It really put me in the mindset that, even though he's not here physically with me, through his things, he'll always be here. That tiny picture of him I had in my head grew exponentially, I feel like he really is here when I go through this massive archive.So back to TLJ, when Luke gives her the dice, it really hits home what I've been going through this year. The loss of Han was heartbreaking, but the spirit of Han that those two knew and grew close to; the memories and presence of him will always be there, through those dice and the memories they cherished. It was such a small moment, but perhaps the biggest scene I've ever truely related to in any Star Wars film.I hope you guys enjoyed this post. I really wanted to write it and share it because that scene truly is beautiful. I'll probably spellcheck in a little but wanted to get these raw emotions out.Thanks for your time and may the force be with you all :) via /r/StarWars http://ift.tt/2GJxEVS