Precious Memories

Precious memories, how they linger, how they ever flood my soul!...This was me during the storm last night. I was tired when I went to bed but for some reason I couldn't fall asleep. I laid listening to the wind, rain and thunder. I smiled to myself as I remembered that when I was a child and camping with my Grandma and Grandpa I would have been in the storm cellar by this point. Now, me, I was more afraid of the spiders and snakes in that cellar than the storm that my grandparents were petrified of making it through. I spent much time in that cellar, listening to rain, thunder, wind and watching the lightning and the river rise. Of course in reality my grandparents had warrant to be so concerned, we had actually all lived through a small tornado and I'm sure only survived harm because of God's mercy and grace. It was after that storm that my grandpa built the storm cellar.

From this thought came a flood of other memories of that camping lot my grandparents owned on the Bourbeuse River in Rosebud, MO. (My cousin owns that lot now) Life was so simple then! I spent the first 30 years of my life on a river bank. First with my mom, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles and after marriage with Bob and my kids. Then Bob got saved and life forever changed. I had such a happy and fun childhood! I drifted off to sleep remembering the times of play with my cousins and all the laughter within our family. 

Isn't it wonderful that God gives us memories?! They are pictures in our minds. I think that is why I love photography so much...pictures are memories. They are captured moments in time which is why I call my photography business (which is sorely lacking and on the back burner for several years now) Captured Moments Photography. It is sad to me to think of someday not being able to remember those fond memories anymore. Age has a way of doing that doesn't it? We are watching and trying to help some of our church family members deal with Alzheimer's and Dementia in their parents. Many of their memories are gone especially they struggle with short term memory loss. Every day and sometimes every hour is a new moment in time. Some are very stuck in a past memory and keep telling you the same story about it over and over. Other times reality has drifted to fantasy and comes out in bizarre speech! Oh! the stories we've heard the past three years! lol   

Like the song says, Precious Memories how they linger, how they ever flood my soul! Sights, sounds, songs, even smells can trigger an emotional memory that we've not thought of in years and years. Hold on to them as long as you can. Document moments of your life for future. You know that movie The Notebook (yes I skip the inappropriate scenes but love the story), is about just that. Before the wife got too bad in her Alzheimer's, she wrote down their love story and asked him to read it to her to help her remember. It's beautiful! Keep a journal to pass on to your children and grandchildren so they truly know who you are and what your innermost thoughts, goals, dreams and ideas were. My sister several years ago, gave me a book that helps me document this with questions and blanks to fill out about my thoughts for that day. My daughter gave me two different grandmother books and I have filled most of them out -- one for her kids and one for my son's kids. I have a mother's book too and given some of those to others as they became parents. Documenting your life is the best way to preserve it for the future! If you do not have one of these type books, get on EBay and find you one! Start today to keep track of who you are and what you were like on this particular day in time! Going back and re-reading them even in a year may give you great insight to yourself!