Our Memories and Ourselves

The road leading back to the "Holler" where I spent several years of my childhood in Southern Indiana.

"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became an [adult], I put childish ways behind me."
~ I Corinthians 13:11

Just the other day someone was sharing a memory with me, and for the life of me, I could not remember the event. "Are you sure you don't remember this?" the person asked.
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"Honestly," I responded, "I can't remember this."

Our memories are something that hold many things. Meals around the table at Christmas or Thanksgiving often hold a special place. Special events, children being born, and moments where your heart skips a beat, are memories that we seem to treasure, and like a treasure, we tuck them away in a special place.

We remember moments that fill us with joy and gratitude or with sadness and anger.

Some memories remind us of the peace that existed in our homes or the conflicts that never seemed to get resolved. These moments stand out as vivid reminders of the quality of our lives together.

I remember my first trip back to Indiana after having suffered a life-changing illness. I told folks that I had hoped to journey back and rediscover the inner child that walked the hills and hollers of my childhood.  I was hoping that in rediscovering my inner child that I would once again know how to dream and not be so imprisoned by my health journey I had just lived through.

When I returned back after my trip, friends asked if I had found that child?

My response, "No, I didn't. Instead I found an aging man who struggled to climb those hills and hollers, and when I got back into the car, I saw a middle-aged, greying man who needed  to figure out what to do with the life I now had before me."

The perspective had changed. The child had grown up, but there were still memories that would remain.

Growing older, and keeping our memories alive, is something that we all experience. While we are reminded that God remains the same, we on the other hand, do not.

As we continue our own life journey, our turning inward and reflections take on a deeper meaning, filled with maturation and memories.

Stay in God's grip!

G. Todd Williams (c) 2020