A Sucker for Memories

Obviously, there are times in everyone's life that we wish we could revisit and do it differently, say something different or just change the whole experience all together. Or truly painful times in our lives when we try to remember how we even survived it. We cringe as it plays in our mind, and we wish it never happened. We all have those.

But I just got a reminder email from good ol' Nathan that reminded me about the other memories. The memories that you wish you could go back to just so you could be in that moment one more time. A memory so awesome that you revisit it on a down day and it makes you smile. I love those. Something as simple as a "Jessi, Jessi, Bo, Bessi" on an old note from the Chippewa Conference brings me back and I'm there again. Thanks Nathan. There's so many good memories with you in them.

I was blessed with a lot of those great memories, friends and smiles. And I'm thankful for all of them. It's amazing how life works, because as each day goes by I am even learning to be thankful for the bad ones too. I'm finding that I can only grow as a person if I can look in my life and learn from every experience...the good and the bad. The pain and sadness are just as involved as the pleasure and smiles in making me who I am. And I kinda like who I am ;)

So I'll keep trying to say "what am I supposed to learn from this?" every time I hurt - and I'll say "always remember this" to myself when I'm smiling because it's so nice to go back and have fun times to remember for a moment to bring an instant smile!

an excerpt from a poem I wrote a few years ago;
Growth comes from pain.
Knowledge comes from experience.
Healing comes from facing the wounds...

xo J