CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
Memory is a child walking along a seashore. You never can tell what small pebble it will pick up and store away among its treasured things. ~Pierce Harris, Atlanta Journal
…
I’m grateful for…
Moments I can reflect upon, that warm my heart and lift my spirits.
I’m letting go of…
Holding on to painful and bitter memories.
I don’t think any of us had a perfect childhood, but some have defined themselves the person they are now; because of it. A scent, a place, a song… those are triggers you have no control of. We can’t pick and choose what we remember and how we feel about it, but it’s still up to you to use them in a way that benefits you most.
Life is what you make of it and that includes how you process what happened to you as a child. Sometimes even happy memories can make you resentful, if you let them. I wish I can encapsulate those good feelings and take a dose when needed or stumble upon a time machine in my backyard and go back to those happy moments. But hey, not all of us want to be Peter Pan because growing up is just as beautiful as childhood.
The not-so-pleasant memories can give you strength, instead of a cold heart. It can make you wiser, not rebellious or angry. It can make you see the difference between good and bad, not a victim. Then some memories are best left alone in the past. You don’t have to analyze everything all the time – it’s one of those “it is what it is”.
When I think about the many wonderful moments of my childhood, I smile (or cry, it depends what time of the month). When I think about the sad moments, I give my self a moment to process it.
My childhood was great with sad moments and I have found “counter memories” to be helpful. For example, the memory of my grandmother’s passing is sad. Then I counter that memory of mornings with her watching the sun rise before tending to her garden. As I work on my collection of counter memories, I cannot believe how many great and wonderful childhood memories I have, for that I am grateful.
What are your happy childhood memories?
somethingville.com 
My grandmother just died, but I have with me all the good memories knowing that she suffered a lot in her last years.
I’m sorry for your loss.
I love the idea of counter memories
I know, right?
It is absolutely true that when you allow your heart to be hurt because of sad memeories, your heart will become as hard as stone. We even blame others for them. Keeping this anger and feeling of revenge gives us a heavy burden so unimaginable. I carried this for five long years. When I finally let go of it, my heart felt so much joy and love for all.
I’m glad you decided to let it go. Life is too precious and time is too short…
such a sweet picture at the beginning. Your thoughts were so helpful.
Thank you, she is a sweet girl. I’m glad you found my thoughts to be helpful. Have a pleasant evening.
I am who I am today because of my experiences both good and bad. I wouldn’t trade any of them, even the really, really, bad ones. And I don’t dwell on those bad things any more. I can allow myself to feel the emotion, for a short time, but then it’s time to move on. Thanks for a great post!
Thank you Ruth. Beautifully said.
Thanks for this post.
It is hard for me to think about my childhood because of the hurt (Dad leaving when I was three and and not seeing him for 25 years) and mom having a lot of problems (booze, drugs) but I have been thinking about this since at the end of the month it has been 20 years since my mom passed. I agree with Ruth in that I am today because of my expereinces good and bad in life.
One thing because of my parental units issues I was able to explore a lot (since my mom never noticed if I was around or not) and I became curious about everything in the world and have carried it on throughout adulthood.
Despite of what happened to you growing up, you still took charge of your life and in reading your blog, I see your outlook in life is great. I love what you put in there “Like life this will be under construction”… I totally agree. Have a good evening Patrick, take care.