The speaker reflects on the loss of his parents, both ornithologists, when he was just an infant. Their early death has left a significant void in his life, and he has often sought to connect with their memory. Despite this yearning, he feels overwhelmed by the realization that the essence of his parents fades into their qualities and ideals, leaving him with a sense of longing for a more tangible connection.

He mentions that certain phrases or words trigger memories of them, as if these terms allow him to recall his parents in specific contexts. For instance, he links "bad heart" to his father and "cancer of the pancreas" to his mother. This highlights how language and memory intertwine, giving him fragments of their presence, yet underscoring the tragedy of their absence in his life.