"How do you keep alive the memory of my lost loved one?"

It's a question that the Rev. Kevin Roberts said has been asked throughout time.With the opioid crisis, more parents are asking that question about children they have lost to drug addiction.At a special National Day of Remembrance service in Tamaqua Sunday night, Roberts, of Bethany Evangelical Congregational Church, told families that as long as they remember the good times with their loved one, their legacy will continue on long after they're gone."Hold on to your memories, make your loved one's life count by helping others and reaching out with compassion and empathy," Roberts said. "And I can assure you, your loved one will continue to be in our hearts forever. They will never be forgotten."More than 100 people packed into Bethany Evangelical Church Sunday night to remember those lost to addiction. Friends sang songs and lit candles for those who have been lost.They remembered a group of loved ones who came from different backgrounds and different situations and vastly different ages.A heart-wrenching slideshow showed the faces of two dozen people who lost their lives to addiction.Then the church's bell tolled as the Rev. Phyllis Wolford read each person's name. A bagpiper's "Amazing Grace" closed out the program.Roberts said that for most families, remembering a lost loved one is part of daily life - that many times, you might wake up and think it was just a bad dream. And unfortunately, it may never fully make sense why that person is no longer here.He cited Scripture to say that knowing God's plans unfortunately won't bring back a loved one. But the love and peace that faith provides can help get someone through it."Your loved one never intended to harm themselves or hurt the ones who love them the most," Roberts said.Tamaqua native Michael Taylor sent a video remembering a friend and mentor who was lost to addiction. He reminded attendees that their loved ones are not defined by their addiction."Addiction does not define their lives, or our memories of them," Taylor said. "You are there tonight to remember them as kind human beings, because they will forever be in our hearts."