A Collage of Memories

Long ago and far away my mother and I had a very special bonding moment. She told me that I needed to learn to look around my world and actively remember it. She said that I could remember feelings and smells and how things felt.

This was a valuable lesson that I made a point of passing on down to my children.

I haven’t checked with them lately to see if they still remember our discussion, but I remember the one I had with my mother rather vividly.

Since that time, I have remembered great moments in my family’s history. Taking moments in time and filing them away has become second nature to me and I do it automatically. It’s as if my mind knows the types of things I should do this for, and it just happens.

For example, I remember watching JFK’s funeral on TV from start to finish. I remember Neil Armstrong’s first footsteps on the moon, my children’s birth’s, the first time I saw my son Josh, my wedding day, my daughters’ graduations from high school and college, etc.

I remember the good and the bad.

I remember smells – the aroma of my mother’s biscuits and gravy cooking in the kitchen, the scent of her signature perfume, the baby smell of each of my children, and the smell of death when my grandmother died following a long illness.

I remember touch – the feeling of security sitting high on my father’s lap and feeling his strong muscular arms holding me – the hugs of both my parents – the touch of loved one’s hand on mine.

All of these memories are a vast collage that enriches my life immensely.

This weekend was filled with moments to remember and to file away for future enjoyment. I got to spend time with my beautiful mother…..even as she battles cancer, she still holds on to her inner radiance. I got to experience her hugs and her tears. I got to feel her hands in mine….and just being able to hold and to comfort her.

I still hear the laughter and the giggles from my daughters. Nothing has changed from when they were a lot younger. When we are all together, we always have something to laugh about.

I also hear my daddy laughing and see him as we played 500 Rummy and watched him lovingly care for my mother.

Ah yes, moments frozen in time.

They will always be there when I need to reflect upon them.