Memories are Souvenirs

I bet you know someone who is just eaten up with bitterness. Bitterness and anger for something that happened in the past.

I was thinking today about memories and how we can control what we remember. I have a brother and sister. We grew up in the same house, same parents and only three and a half year spread from the first to the last. I’m in the middle. It’s amazing how differently we remember some events. I bet most siblings could say the same thing.

So why do we remember differently? Do we choose what to remember and how to remember it? And if we do, why? It seems to me, we should view our memories as souvenirs, souvenirs of life. After all that’s what they are. Souvenirs are gifts we buy ourselves, usually on our travels. Or something someone else brings us from their travels. Mr. Webster defines souvenirs as “something kept as a token of remembrance, a memento”. So isn’t that what a memory is? A memory of our travel through life, something we have retained in our head that we can pull out and think about when we’re thinking of a person or a place or a time in our life.

Now when we buy objects as souvenirs, it’s always something pretty or special to us—something we like—something we want to remind us of a good time or place. Why can’t we do this with our memories? Pick and choose the good stuff, the pretty stuff—the good times, pleasant times. We would never buy a souvenir that we found ugly or caused us pain. So let’s be as discriminating about our memories.

You have heard someone say, I can’t believe he or she left me and hurt me so deeply. We could turn that around and say “you know ole so and so was great”. I really miss him or her but the added so much to my life. I’m glad I got to spend x years with him or her.

You may dread going into work because nobody appreciates what you do. You’re there for one reason and one reason only—the pay check. That’s great, remember how you felt the last time you treated yourself or paid a bill. That’s a good memory. So get up and say “I’m looking forward to today because next weekend I’m going to see that movie I’ve been wanting to see and my job provides me with the means to do it”. Or maybe there’s somewhere special you’ve always wanted to go. Sit down and plan how much it would cost. Now plan how long it will take to save the money. Get a calendar and start marking off the days. Save the money and greet each day with “I can’t wait to go to work today because I’ll be another day closer to my goal!

If you have a bad memory, trade it in for a good one, a souvenir. It may be a friend who let you down, just remember how many times they lifted you up. It may be a parent who was less than perfect—just be thankful they chose to have you and helped you to become the beautiful perfect person you are today. You are a person capable of forgiveness and who chooses to remember the good stuff—not only of them but of yourself. Remember you are good and strong and full of souvenirs.

As always may you be blessed with………………………………………………..
Peace and Love