we keep track of, and remember, important developments.
the graduation.
the wedding.
the big move.
the new job.
the births.
the deaths.
but what about the small easily-erased moments?
what happens to them?
unless we keep a diary (and occasionally re-read it)
or relate an anecdote to a friend,
these memories are often stored away
in that sealed vault-of-forgetfulness.
lost forever to our conscious selves.
so sometimes i scotch-tape or record them into my daily notebook journal.
because this is my life.
the random little jottings and the routine events
that may not have seemed all that special then.
the average everyday moments.
in 2013 i went through almost 100 boxes before selling our home.
and nestled among the obvious treasures –
the hard-earned diploma, the bridal bouquet ribbon, the ultrasound photo –
were also the beautifully handwritten letters from my mom,
the delightfully juvenile drawings by my sons,
the fancifully written tales i’d dreamed up as a child.
even a few hurriedly scribbled messages to pick up milk or the dry cleaning.
they reminded me of precious days gone by,
days i could instantly revisit with one glance at these keepsakes.
i hung onto them all those years.
because this is my life.
amidst the achievements and the adventures,
the disappointments and the tragedies.
the average everyday moments.
this is my life.
and this is your life too.
do not allow your cherished memories to be locked away.
how do you preserve those average everyday moments,
the ones that actually tell your core story?
*******
click to receive my studio notes in your inbox each week.
(and get my complimentary guide to the essence7 journey as my gift to you!)
tweet
Such a great message here, April. Between all those noteworthy moments, are a whole lot of every day memories. While they don’t garner the most attention, it doesn’t make them any less valuable. These are sometimes more “time capsule relevant” than the moments and milestones we focus so much attention on. Thank you for the reminder!!
“time capsule relevant” . . . what we would most want to remember? a child’s smile? a simple meal lovingly made with your spouse? love the image you’ve conjured up, april!
Ohhhhhh, April, I love this. This is exactly what I’m doing with my Luscious Legacy Project. ‘Because this is my life’ and I don’t want these memories stored away in unopened boxes. I want them at my fingertips (or on my hard drive) to help me remember and reminisce. I recently completed one edition and this one was an ebook because I was making it for my nephew who is tech savvy and far more interested in viewing something on a computer than in a book but the one I’m creating now is for moi and I found just the right ‘glue book.’ Beautiful post, thank you. xxoo
yes, sue ann! bring the memories out into the open. talk about them, cherish them, share them. happy that your luscious legacy project will do just that.
April, the best year of my life was when I lived a 365 day project where the little things and the big things were recorded on my blog. I wish I had the energy to keep that up. It was amazing.
I’ve heard of people who take a photo a day as well, but I’d surely forget on some days. 😉
Or…
There must be an app for that? Right? 😀
I’m joking, but if there is… then you must download it prior to Italia!!!
Love, M
michelle . . . 🙂 (i’d love a daily account of my first year in italy!)
Beautiful post. Memories. Interesting when they are kept in those unopened boxes! I went through a lot when I moved last year and threw out a lot… but what I kept, I treasure…and going through them, really was a journey of my life… And you know, the interesting thing is that the more I got rid of, the more space I had for the memories that needed to be kept…and more writing for me too. And more about the more ordinary moments 🙂
Beautiful post… has me reminiscing 🙂
exactly, elizabeth – i completely understand. it was an epic journey of my life going through those boxes. from childhood to college. from early married life to children. from growing older to losing key people. “the more i got rid of, the more space i had for the memories that needed to be kept.” i like that. i got rid of a great deal – 2/3 of a very large storage garage. and i still mourn a few of the things i parted with. i’ll try to look at the experience in this new and different way (thanks).