I do not want to be sober because that is when traumatic memories rush back in. They are growing old means the memories outweigh the dreams. How ironic it is wherein the most harrowing memories to forget are the painful ones. In our memory, things that are dear to us are being magnified. Old memories paired with new hopes are a perfect combination in life. Old memories give us a roller coaster of emotions wherein we do not know that we can feel it in the first place. That is the reason why God gave us memories. Memory is one way of holding into things that you do not want to part with, something that somehow made you happy at some point. All the memories that I had back then made me want to go back to that time again. I remember when I was still a kid I was carefree and thrilled. Originally published on December 20, 2011.We can keep the lovely memories in life, but we also have to focus on moving on. QUESTION: How do you record your everyday cherished memories?ĬHALLENGE: Think of several recent special memories and be sure to record them in a manner that works best for you. I have found the best way to cherish the little moments in life is to record them. I am able to notice the little things that go on in daily life and appreciate them more. It also helps me to live more in the moment. I find that when I write things down, it preserves my memories for the future. Keep your camera handy and snap photos of everyday life. Whatever you decide on, make it a priority to take a few minutes every day or every week to write something down. Do you like a lot of embellishments or do you prefer more of a simple, clean look? Do you want to be able to record little tidbits about your photos, or do you feel that a picture is worth a thousand words? Do you prefer digital scrap-booking or the real thing? What about pockets for treasures and keepsakes like tickets from a concert or train ride? If that’s important to you, look for a binder that can hold sheet protectors or baseball card holders that you can slip your mementos into. You can also ask yourself the same type of questions for scrap-booking. (Be sure to back your entries up so you don’t lose them if your computer crashes.) Do you prefer the feel of pen and paper? Look for a journal that suits your needs. Do you find that typing on the computer is easier for you? There are a lot of computer programs and websites available for journaling. Do you like to check things off your daily to-do list? Maybe you should look into a question and answer book where you fill out a few questions each day.

Are you a social person? Writing a blog might be best for you, as it will help you to feel connected with other people. First, think about the type of person you are. There are so many options out there for journaling.

Find something that you like and can stick to. Although I found what works for me, it’s important to try a lot of different ways to journal in order to find what works best for you. I don’t carry this notebook around with me. The other notebook is reserved for deeply personal spiritual experiences. I write down lists of things that happened, passages, personal experiences, quotes of something funny my kids have said, sketches and lists of websites I want to check out. I finally found a method that works for me. What resulted was a stack of notebooks, each with only a few passages written in them. At one point I tried having different notebooks for each type of journal entry. It seems strange to write down deeply personal experiences next to a simple list or a poorly drawn sketch. I have had trouble finding the best way to journal for my life. I want things to look nice and sound lovely, so I don’t write them down or scrapbook. Usually when I think about journaling, it drums up emotions of guilt and trepidation. What I’ve discovered is that it’s important for me to write things down, in any form, so that I don’t forget the important little moments that string together to make up a life. Someday my bookshelves will be lined with perfectly bound books of aesthetically pleasing memories. Someday I’ll write beautiful words about when my children learned to walk or what their favorite toy was or what their temperaments were. However, they sit on my computer, waiting for a pretty book to be put in or even just to find the time to send them off to be printed. I take lots of pictures, so I have a lot of opportunities to reflect on them. What were their concerns, hopes and dreams? What were mine? Was anything bothering them? What seemingly mundane tasks were we doing? I wish I could remember all of these things, but I can’t. I often find myself looking back at pictures of my children and wondering what we talked about that day. We always tell ourselves, “I’ll never forget this moment.” But memories are fragile and time is fleeting.

Cherish beautiful memories