Cherish Memories, Not Things

“If I could go back and do something different, I would ______________.”

What? Keep my first car or even the next one? Hang onto that bauble of childhood that might be worth a few hundred dollars in the marketplace. Keep your neckties. They get recycled every few years. My baseball mitt? Football helmet? Transistor radio? I have a few trinkets from my younger years that I truly cherish – a red rubber knife, a couple of dominoes, and some coins.

Or is that thought about something from yesterday or last year?

Life has a way of getting away from us, and like things we toss to the side, we often wish we could go back for a “re-do.” Let’s try that again.

I thought about an old Hudson Hornet I saw in the parking lot this weekend. For about 30 minutes, I stood, gawked, ooh’d, and aah’d. Car guys drove slowly by and stared. Some of us stood around and chatted about our favorite cars. Phones came out. Pictures were shared. It felt like I was at a car show.

Light bulb moment. I was reminded of something. Though I may enjoy the car, I’m not so sure I want to manage the repairs, upgrades, or restores. Age, time, and money have crept up to where the cherished memory is better than the item.

Experiences vs Things

In my past I made memories all about tactile experiences. We’ve all done it one way or the other. Buy something at a destination to help you recall it later in life. Thimbles. Snow Globes. Coffee Mugs. Key Chains. I still have a few of those special memories on the shelf. A coffee mug from Long Rifle Lodge. You can’t help but remember those sourdough pancakes and the drop-dead gorgeous views of Matanuska Glacier.

Today? It’s not about the things I can touch, rather the things I recall.

My bride and I celebrate our birthdays without any fanfare. No trips, gifts, or surprises. Of all the things we could do, the best thing we’ve learned is to give an experience that brings memories of today into our future. These memories lighten up the darkness.

Experience does not have to cost an arm or leg. A special meal, day trip, quiet drive, or even a concert. We’ve enjoyed a few in our near 48 years of marriage. Bread, Eagles, John Denver, Allison Krauss, Willie Nelson, Ray Price, Eddy Arnold. Dinner? Falls Terrace. Day trips are best when they are not planned. Just go where the road unfolds.

Some of my best memories are family and long periods of silence.

Make A Memory

My one thought about all of this? You must make a memory. Of what? Anything. Everything. Nothing special. Just as you would stop and shop and enjoy a trinket, you must record your memories. In your mind and heart. Why? Memories recalled are producing a special savor to whatever life is like in your present. Good Memories Bring Positives to a Negative.

Remember when? Go ahead. Reminisce for a moment. It’s okay. You’re worth the time. Not everything is worth remembering. There are good times, bad times, and plenty of mediocre times. Why not focus on the good memories and let those bad ones float away?

Memories are more than the photographs we take. Photos seldom do the moment justice. But if you must take one, let it simply be a trigger for something deeper – a soul memory.

Think about it like this from an old song I cherish.

“Precious Memories”

Precious mem’ries, unseen angels,
Sent from somewhere to my soul;
How they linger, ever near me,
And the sacred past unfold.

As I travel on life’s pathway,
Know not what the years may hold;
As I ponder, hope grows fonder,
Precious mem’ries flood my soul. 

[Refrain]
Precious mem’ries, how they linger,
How they ever flood my soul;
In the stillness of the midnight,
Precious, sacred scenes unfold.

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