Memories

 Memories are funny things. Some people thrive on memories. Some people avoid memories. But one thing that I noticed is that memories are very personal. Your memories are yours. It is how you remember what has happened in your life. It may involve other people and places and things and events. But you remember only your perspective on what happened. It is your personal story.

People talk about memories like they are important. But unless you share a common bond, your memories are just stories to others. One thing that I noticed since Kathy died is I have no one to talk to about certain people or things or events that I remember. She would remember, I remember, but as you age fewer and fewer people share those old memories.

This is one reason why I choose to live life looking forward, not backwards. I am interested in what is next, more than what used to happen. I value friends and family for their love today, not what they used to do.

There are times here that I will be talking to someone and I will remember something. But, I bite my tongue and do not say what I am thinking. Other people's memories are like fiction to me, and I just figure that my memories are fiction to them. I can see in a person's face when what I am saying is not connecting with them.

We never lose our memories. It is important to remember your story and to cherish your personal memories. Just remember that it is your story, the way you remember it, and it is more important to you than to anyone else.