REMEMBER?

I’ve been thinking about memories.

Especially the way I’m losing mine. Today in the pay parking lot, somewhere between pulling out of my space and driving the 50 yards to the pay booth, I lost my ticket and cash. I had to pull over and tear my car apart for a full five minutes. Found it neatly folded in a pocket of my purse. Obviously.

Anyway, that’s not the only kind of memory on my mind.

I’ve been noticing how we all remember things
but we don’t all remember the same things
and even when we do
we don’t remember them the same.

I’ve also been wondering
why some memories stick
and others don’t.

Or maybe they all stick
somewhere
in body or mind
just waiting to show up again
someday.

I’ve been thinking about how
memories are possibly one of our
most valuable treasures.
No one can steal them,
no storm can blow them
away
which is beautiful
and great.

Except for those times
when you’d pay
almost anything
to lose a few
specific ones.

But then again
what if you actually did,
lose them,
perhaps by the work
of some genie in a bottle
or magic fairy dust.

What would be left?

If life had still happened
but you could only remember
the good parts.

Freedom?
Joy?
Peace?
Gaps?
Fear?
Confusion?

Sometimes I wonder if memories
are so much more than
just memories.

I wonder what they can teach us.

For good or for bad,
for now,
I’m thankful to have
mine.

__
photo taken at Hunt and Gather

by julie rybarczyk