Memories

A thought flashes itself. Is it relevant to the moment? Is it a profound idea that dawns? Is it a memory of a few days' past, or one haunting of the distant past? The encyclopedia of the mind is not always of fact. It is often of little things, fleeting.

Like smells. Wafting breezes that caress the skin. A haze that diffuses light just so, a ghost of light, a shadow of hue, a halo or billow of remembrance. Sounds, too; and movements that trip recall of something distant.

I recall thinking these things over the years. Aging, however, has brought perspective and depth of experience. The memory tickles yet other moments from the past. Sometimes it is a photo album of friends, neighbors, colleagues and loved ones lost to our present. Something they did is mirrored in a moment of today, and they come fully to mind.

What it means is more valuable with passage of time. We see the world always, but nuances flutter from comparisons to things we experienced today. We see more deeply. Reflection allows more emotion, more valuing of the meanings of life.

Some call this wisdom. Some think it is pandering and maudlin. I tend to think of it as richness of life’s fabric. When young we had impatience that skipped over moments. If lucky, we recall them just the same and see them with fresh appreciation. Such is the gift of growing older. Perspective lives in such mindfulness.

Now as daily routines take on more effort, longer timeframes and perhaps a bit of pain, we have slow motion time to think and reflect. That is a good thing, really, certainly not a bad thing. It is just another facet of knowing and feeling the fulness of life.

I value things for the convenience they bring, or the artistic reflection they provide my living spaces. But what truly is valuable are the thoughts and ideas past, present or future. Memories are the reference points to the now and the possible. Do not detract from memories. Nor their value.

You shall see in time. Some of us already have. Some still do.

September 6, 2022

 

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