Evergreen Memories

How delicate and fragile our memories can be

Piece by piece, they are the building blocks of who we are and where we come from

But more importantly, memories become our identity and help strengthen the bonds of relationships

Every little thing and moment becoming the basis of the future you

Like ghosts, memories come flooding back and at times they can haunt us

Memories of the past help us make a decision in the present, in return, teaching us lessons to use in the future

Like a tree shedding its leaves in preparation for winter, some memories are fleeting

Gone, but not necessarily forgotten

For as the sun dawns on a new season, the roots of those memories become the building blocks for new life

Yes, some memories are transitory

But the memories that truly define us, those memories become evergreen

The sound of a laughter taking you back to days gone by

The smell of food searing into your nostrils, bringing forth times long forgotten

The touch of an object evoking a sense of déjà vu

The taste of a crisp apple in the fall, conjuring up a recipe for emotions

And the sights we surround ourselves with, that rekindles our love for nature

On one hand, memories make us

On the other hand, memories can take from us too

Memories with unwelcome effects can come into our lives and permeate our thoughts

Like regrets, they gnaw away at our sanity, they manipulate our emotions and they spread like a poison

It's these memories that require work on our part to address the triggers and heal from the pain.

With healing comes forgiveness

With forgiveness comes a clean slate

With a clean slate comes opportunities to make new evergreen memories

Remember who you are

Each new day, brings about new opportunities

Moments become memories

Emotions drive those memories

Measure your self worth by who you are at the core

Be in the moment

Encourage yourself daily

Remember that mistakes are opportunities to learn

How delicate and fragile our memories can be

Easily shattered

At times, hard to forget

But with the right care

The softness of the mind

The gentleness of the soul

Even those moments can be treasured

If not in a memory, then on the distant shore where forgiveness resides.