What is your earliest memory?

My brother had a great memory. Jesse could remember back to when he was only three years old. (Maybe even younger!) Oh, how he loved to reminisce! At our family gatherings or in general conversations, it wouldn’t take long before Jesse would begin a sentence with “Remember…” And what joy he had in the telling! It was always accompanied with his boisterous laughter.

My earliest memories take place at around the age of five or six, and they are centered around a cat. I wanted a kitten and decided to pray for one. (I also told my mother I was praying. I guess I wanted to cover all possibilities!) I remember so clearly walking into the kitchen one evening and finding everyone just sitting there grinning at me. It puzzled me until I saw a box in the corner with a tiny ear sticking up over the edge! My first answered prayer! I named the little tawny kitten, Taffy. My next memory is of my grandfather and me sitting on the front porch with the kitten on his lap. He picked it up and pretended to pull and twist it. When I reacted, he said, “Didn’t you say it was Taffy?” I giggled. I have one more early memory of this cat. I was walking next door to meet the neighbor boy to walk with him to the school bus stop. It was the first day of school and I was in second grade. He was younger than me and I was supposed to help him. But on the way, I discovered my cat stuck in their white picket fence. Lifeless. What a gamut of emotions those memories hold! Joy, laughter, concern, sadness and sorrow.

Memories are like that. They come with all kinds of feelings and we can react in so many different ways. The way we live affects our memories and, likewise, our memories can affect the way we live. Some memories hurt. Painful memories can lead us to regret or to resentment while happier moments can cause us to remember with rejoicing. Memories are our very own personal history. Perhaps we can learn from them and use them to reconsider who we are and how we live.

Remembering is a good thing. This is why we take pictures, buy souvenirs, write in journals and keep diaries. This is why we erect statues and setup memorials. This is why we celebrate holidays and establish traditions. Memorial Day was established a few years after the American Civil War to honor and remember the many men who died in that horrific war. We now remember all the men and women who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. It has also become a traditional time to place flowers on the graves of those we have loved and lost. When we lose a loved one, all we have left are the memories.

My room is full of memories. My husband is no longer with me. Since his death, I dwell with the memories. I have the first gift he ever gave me, a teddy bear named PG. I have a trunk at the foot of my bed filled with our love letters and photo albums. The trunk is covered with a quilt made out of his shirts. A bowling pin stands in the corner. Pictures surround me. Is this a good thing? It all depends on the day and on me.

When pain is over, the remembrance of it often becomes a pleasure. –Jane Austen in Persuasion

As I am getting older I find myself spending more time remembering. My memories are becoming more important to me and are very vivid. But this concerns me as I don’t want to live in the past! I want to appreciate it and learn from it, but I don’t want to stay there. I want to live in the present and look to the future. The Bible teaches this balance in remembering. Often in Scripture we are called to remember what God has done for us, even through memorials and celebrations, yet Paul tells us in Philippians 3:13 that he is “forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” We should do the same. It means we remember, but we still move on.

Memories are a wonderful blessing. They are meant to be treasured and shared. This is why, when we get together, we like to remember our past and share our stories. What are some of your favorite memories? How are you handling those painful ones you would like to forget? Do you have embarrassing memories you have learned to laugh at? Are there any memories you would like to share with me? Please do! Memories can be used to encourage one another and to bear each other’s burdens. If you have a special memory you would like to share, just leave a comment. It will be a blessing to me.

I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done. –Psalm 143:5

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