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Journaling Memories

God gave us memories that we may have roses in December. Although these are not my own words, but a quote from a source long forgotten, I have returned to them frequently for their truth and beauty. Roses being one of my favorite flowers, It is an easy bridge from the image of the red blossoms that pose for a few weeks each summer in my back yard to my Auntie Viola, who taught me to love them as she did. While Auntie Viola passed on years ago, and my roses are settled into their out-of-season repose, the idea that our memories are gardens reflecting the rich detail of our lives and its accessibility to us, means we can revisit our experiences, thoughts and feelings any time we want, and enjoy again the tangibility of relationships and events from earlier times. Happy memories rekindle warmth, tenderness and delight. Tougher situations recalled give logic and perspective to feelings that, at the time we lived them, overwhelmed or frightened us. Memories are important parts of our lives. Working back through dimly lit hallways from our childhood, high school or college years teaches us not only where we have been, but also how our choices have shaped our lives. Redirecting our memories to challenge us to grow into who we want to become is also the gift of recognizing how we may choose to view past experiences and life in the present moment.

Retracing memories is perhaps one of the most useful tools to reveal our lives to us in new ways, and to assist us in integrating our experiences as lasting, positive parts of our lives. Journaling this process is particularly useful for several reasons. Just as a written historical record of an event creates a touchstone to which we can return for reassurance, hope or confirmation, so does a journaled account of a memory. What was your first day of school like? What ever became of the presents and the guests from your thirteenth birthday party? Where were you, and what were you doing, when we crossed over into the new millennium? What did you like best about your vacation last year? What is your first memory of your grandparents? All of these are roses blooming in your memory, ready to be savored. If you have no idea where to begin, the idea itself can become your toehold. Almost like an object lesson, favorite items related to the memory can also jostle our minds, relinquishing long-buried facts and feelings that can be jotted down, pondered and reassembled into an orderly, cohesive format. Report cards,

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