“Memory is a part of the present. It builds us up inside; it knits our bones to our muscles and keeps our hearts pumping. It is memory that reminds our bodies to work, and memory that reminds our spirits to work to: it keeps us who we are.” ~Gregory Maguire
Dear Universe,
I feel so blessed that I have a good memory. Some of my earliest memories go as far back as me being in my crib!
I love reminiscing and retelling old favorite stories and favorite memories.
That’s why when I saw this sign, it caught my eye and stirred something deep inside.
“If you could keep only one memory, what would it be?”
The thought killed me! I could never just pick one. Even if you asked me to narrow it down to a top ten, top one hundred, I still wouldn’t want to do it. I wouldn’t be able to.
It still got me wondering, though. Would the memory be a happy one? One with family? Friends? Would I be traveling? Would I be a young child or would it be something more recent?
How could I possibly pick?!
Having only one memory, no matter how spectacular it is, would feel like being stuck in Groundhog Day or something. Thinking about the same memory over and over would dull its significance and wear it down until it means nothing at all.
“When we think of the past it’s the beautiful things we pick out. We want to believe it was all like that.” ~Margaret Atwood
I know some people wish they could forget. They want to forget the painful memories, relationships gone bad, jobs lost, illnesses, death, moments of despair and pain…
But there is something significant about having all these recollections: the good, the bad, the beautiful, the ugly.
From them we learned things about ourselves; we grew as people. Those very moments may have been life altering. The memories some try so hard to forget are the same ones we should be most thankful for since they shaped us, molding our inner core to what it is today.
So instead of trying so hard to forget, I think we should all try harder to remember. We should look back and reminisce, give gratitude for the memory—good or bad—and then keep on moving forward…
To make the new memories that we will one day remember.
With Gratitude,
A
