Daily life has become more complicated, and we often try to turn away by burying ourselves in things that really don’t matter. By doing that, we forget the things that really do matter. We forget those things that nurture us like family and friends who create our precious memories. Most of us have cell phones where we have saved hundreds of photos. At the time the photos were taken the photographer valued the moment enough to document that memory for all time. But as time passes, that photo gets relegated to a photo bank where it is often long forgotten even though it really did mean something. We need to take action to preserve these memories now. The guiding thought in our lives should be “If not now when?” When is the time that we will handle that?
Life is all about yesterday, today and tomorrow. Yesterday is when our memories were made. Today we need to preserve those memories so we have them to enjoy tomorrow. We need to take the memories out of boxes and put them in formats where they can come to life.
These days the popular movement is “less is more” and to be surrounded by possessions that are things we really love. For many of us, what we love the most is our family and friends and the memories made with them. Imagine a home decorated with these memories. Perhaps a wall canvas depicting a favorite vacation or a computer slide show playing memories of family events. We live in a time where those things can be created with ease after the photos are taken out of the box, sorted, and organized. It is important to remember that now is the time to get memories in a format where they can be shared with those who are closest to us. Now is the time when we are all still able to enjoy them together.
When we think about it, we are constantly making memories whether memorable or mundane. We can be like a huge, dusty warehouse where we have lost the key and feel overwhelmed with the emotional task of looking through every storage locker for our memories. Or we can ask for help from a person who will walk with us and help unlock those lockers and freshen the memories.
We do not want to live a life saying, “what if…?” or “if only…” or “I wish I had…” We can take this moment to make a plan for remembering. If not now, when?
Written by: Kat Mendenhall