My Memories

I think most of my life I have been teased about my incredible memory for small off the wall moments. I am obsessed with pictures and I adore looking through my old pictures to capture the feeling of the moment most of them were taken. As life has its ups and downs, I relish my memories to keep a smile on my face. The memories of my childhood, times with my family, my wedding and the birth of my baby girl. I have had some people question why I kept pictures of past loves and relationships, and I always answer, " They were happy times in my life and I want to always remember them". As I struggle through tough days full of stress, and enjoy the amazing moments many days bring, I continue to put away each memory. It is my memories that remind me of love, happiness, sadness, hope, and wonder. I know I must sound like a Hallmark card, but I am blessed to have so many wonderful memories. I have memories of growing up with my big brother, my best friend Sam and I riding horses and having a blast, my first kiss, my first crush, and all of the many more memories.

I have a box where I keep small little items that remind me of certain times of my past and I found it today under my bed. I decided today that I was going to make sure that I begin adding to it again. My grandmother suffers from dementia, and is now 92 years old and in a home. Her memories are now more limited, but she believes at times she is in her twenties. I love asking her to retell me all her stories over and over because I watch her face light up as she recalls them. I realized after visiting her recently, that I wanted to keepsake all the memories I could to share them with my daughter and use as a reminder to myself later in life. I truly believe our past can shape our future or teach us what to do and what not to do. Every day when I wake up I know its another day and potentially a day for another more wonderful memory to keep.