Memories Are For Sharing

Something good happens in your life and you savor the moment. Something humorous occurs and you mark it as never-to-be-forgotten. A tragedy or other sad event changes you in many ways. All of these happenings eventually become memories. Some are to be treasured, some laughed over and others are bittersweet, leaving you with a return of tears or heartache. It's alright. No one has all happiness and hilarity in their life. 

Dr. Seuss's quote is pretty accurate. When those memorable moments pass through our life, we aren't considering them as a memory to hang onto forever. But the things that stay with us months and years down the road of life become our memories. I'm a firm believer that memories are for sharing.

Share your memories with your children and grandchildren, your siblings, you parents and good friends. I once told my mother about a memory that had haunted me for over ten years of my childhood. It astonished her when the story surfaced, but it was a memory of mine that she needed to know. After a bit of anger and a few tears on both sides, that memory brought us closer together as mother and daughter. 

It wasn't enough that I shared my memory verbally. It needed to be written so that the younger members of my family would someday learn what had happened. Not that it would alter their lives in any way, but it might be a piece of the puzzle of a life of someone they are related to. Me! I admit that it took decades before I did write about a giant lie I told as a child--a great big lie that led to more lies and upset my parents for a very long time. The story is now written and in my Memory Book. 

I've written about the embarassing or funny moments like the time I cooked a big Thanksgiving dinner and miscalculated the timing on the turkey. Rare beef is good but doesn't work with turkey.  I still get teased about that one. I've written about the heartaches involved with the loss of two of our infant children. Stories that needed to be kept for our family and maybe to help others who have walked a similar path. 

When my family sifts through my Memory Book, they will learn things about my life before and after they were a part of it. They'll learn about my friends, my thoughts and feelings. They'll see a different way of life in my childhood than their own. They'll learn about family members on both sides and generations back.

Yes, memories are for sharing. Are you writing yours? Do you share them with the ones you love? If you haven't done it yet, there's no time like the present for taking that first step.