Death separates loved ones. People want to console you by saying that the person has gone to eternal life and that you will go later.
But you realize that death is part of life and that one day you expect to be reunited with your loved ones in heaven.
Do you want to know what the Bible has to say about it?
People simply take it for granted that they will recognize their loved ones
Does God really make such a promise?
There is nothing specific in the Bible where God says, "Yes, you will recognize your loved ones in heaven."
But there are passages that imply that yes. Paul wrote in 1 of Thessalonians 4 that he did not want you to grieve for your loved ones as those who have no hope do. "Because if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so will God bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him." This passage seems to imply that he will recognize his loved ones, otherwise he will remain sad.
Paul also wrote to the Thessalonians, a group of people who had been told about Jesus: "Why is our hope, our joy or our crown of glory? Are not you, before our Lord Jesus Christ, in your coming?" (1 Thessalonians 2:19) Paul was implying both the recognition and the gathering of those he had known on earth.
The Bible promises that those who have faithfully worked for the Lord during their lives will receive rewards in heaven. To appreciate these rewards, you should continue to be you.
Revelation 22 mentions that the names of the twelve tribes of Israel are engraved on the twelve doors of the new Jerusalem, and that the names of the twelve apostles are written on the cornerstones. If the people in heaven do not preserve their memory, these inscriptions would have no purpose.
Romans 14:12 states that each person will give a personal report of their life before God.
Mary and the disciples recognized Jesus in his resurrected body (John 20:16, John 21:12). Surely you will be recognizable in your resurrected body.
Relationships will be different in heaven. But people will remain who they were on earth. In Matthew 8:11, Jesus indicated that you will recognize Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who lived in the early biblical times.