shadow holding up page of a book
Faded Memories

In the quiet corners of my mind,
there reside echoes of moments long past,
with colors muted,
and edges softened by passages of time.

Faded memories drift like whispers
on the back roads consciousness,
fragments, elusive, once real and now?
Threads of experience.

Memory, once vibrant and alive,
now seems as if viewed through a veil,
its details blurred, its emotions dulled.

Yet, in their faded beauty,
memories hold a certain power,
an almost delirious nostalgic tug
beckoning the heart to revisit.

Where are they found?
Only in the memory allowed faint light
It’s my job to dust them off, relive them, and share them.
Once cherished in real-time, they are now stored by a measure I know not.

How are they triggered?
A song, a chord, a phrase, even a word.
A smell, a color, a place, even a face.
Bring them forth by story or verse!

Cherished. Precious. Sweet.
Faded memories, yet mine.
Recalled, they warm my heart.
That’s my strength. I claim them.

Faded Memories Cherished. Precious. Sweet. Faded memories, yet mine. Recalled, they warm my heart. Memories are your strength. Claim them. Share on X

Recalling memories are often easier,
When you have trinkets to bring memories to light.
A domino, red rubber knife, or coffee pot on the shelf,
A coin, a broken watch, a plaque, a photograph…
A whispered word heard at the right time,
That baking bread, hmmm, I smell it now. Bread Pudding.

This weekend, I asked that we don’t let faded memories die.
Work ever so hard. Keep them alive. Cherished. Precious. Sweet.
Remember, back then, it is your part and parcel of identity.
Let them help you remember today. Oh. That’s how we do it.

I hear a song with cowboy voices, a tune even from a balladeer,
But mostly, I hear my grandmother sing or my dad lifting notes to the rafters,
Songs like Rock of Ages, Until Then, yes, and I’d Rather Have Jesus.
That’s my memory, unfaded, and I live daily.
These memories will carry me home.

Do you want a psalm
To tell you the greatest story of memories?
Try 105, from the beginning to the end.
It opens with the phrase,
And truly, this is where our memories begin:

Oh, give thanks to the LORD!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!
Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
O seed of Abraham His servant,
You children of Jacob,
His chosen ones!
He is the LORD our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
(Psalms 105:1-7 NKJV)

Thank you for reading.
Please share with others.
It helps me get my book written!

(Below, you may find other topics similar to this one. Please read on!)

By Michael Gurley

Making Sense of Life, One Thought at a Time!