Memories are the fabric that weaves the experiences of our lives into our consciousness. We can refer to them to bring back a feeling or a sensation that fills us with joy and happiness. We can laugh and reminisce with friends and family and feel wrapped in a warm glow in the experiences and moments that were important to us. In times when we are low, memories can remind us of the good that is attainable, of what can and has been achieved. We often compartmentalize our memories and sift through the good ones to give inspiration, joy and hope.
But remembering all that has transpired in our lives is a gift. While the good moments give us a reprieve from present stresses and reminds of all that we have accomplished, the moments of deep struggles and trials can provide a profound reminder of the depths of our convictions and the tenacity that lays within us. When we have lived through tremendous hardship it is tempting to package those memories in a nicely sealed box not to be revisited again. It is natural to want to forget and move on as memories of those moments can be painful.
It is important though, to not bury those memories but allow them to be recalled from time to time to help us engage more fully in the present moment. When we remember our struggles, or feel some of the pain we have endured, it gives us an opportunity to refocus and prioritize our present day.
There were many times throughout my healing journey that I was so deep in the pain that it was everything to me to get through it and just forget it all. I understand all too well the need to push through, get past and live in a moment unencumbered from the ordeal and the pain. I wanted to forget already, never to relive those moments again. But then I realized, that in pushing the memory down, I was denying myself the gift that remembering can give. Each day now is lighter, easier and more normal than I could have ever hoped it could have been. I can appreciate the little moments now that I took for granted before. I can awaken each morning with a new purpose and a resolve to live more fully in the moment, more so than I ever did before. I can do all of this because I remember. I remember the journey through the hardship, the path that darkened more opaquely before the slivers of light shone through. I remember how low we can go, only to travel to heights we never thought possible. Without the gift of remembering the struggles, I could not honour where I am today.
Each memory if a gift, and allowing ourselves to remember all that we have been through guides us to an even more precious and special memory today and in all that the future holds.