Oh, what a life I have lived . . .
there are memories I will be sorry to lose,
because I think that perhaps they will fall away
after I leave this world.
I don’t want to think this,
but memories are connected with ego
and I’m pretty sure the ego will fall away too.
It makes me a little sad
because so many of them are precious
and I love revisiting them,
but as I continue to grow and learn
perhaps I’ll understand more
and find it less painful to let them go
when it is time.
I have both joyful and sorrowful . . .
for now,
their footsteps echo
as they are recalled,
whether bidden or unbidden.
Some comfort me in the moment
and others are harsh with regret,
but they are all mine
for now.
I don’t feel like they sustain me . . .
they don’t really make me any braver.
Nor do they make me yearn less.
I’m busy in the Now,
and if I dwell on them too much
I will be sacrificing the gifts held in the present moment.
I can indulge,
sneak a little taste once in awhile,
explore what they have taught me,
but then
I am compelled to move on
and participate in the Now. ♥
Memories sustain me in diverse ways they are the key to my future such as when I needed boosters’ flashback of memories of happy times. my memories educate me, …. Memories of all beings who have cross my path guide me to live fully with love and to remember that I have this moment to live and make a difference in my being and the beings here at this moment and those who have not encounter me or will not meet me. I journalize to keep moment’s memories for reflection later or to recall lessons learned or …. I respond to the questions on my journal and occasionally respond online. I am grateful for you responding to these questions as I have returned to some of your answers to deal with moments of related situation, your responds sustain me at that moment. Your memories helped me. My memories’ garden is fully of moments of trees, flowers, fruits, vegetables, unwanted plants, weeds …, but only use memories to live fully now. My memories are my diaries to live moment by moment and I hope my legacy memories will be one of love.
My daily moments are moments of my life as I practice gratitude and be grateful and these moments are my memories.
I don’t think memories sustain me. In fact, memories can often make me feel badly even the happy ones because if I’m always comparing my life to something that was in the past how could my life ever compare or be good enough? Mostly our memories are not even accurate that has been proven many times by scientists.
I think life/truth sustains me and brings me back to the present moment and shows me what is really happening.
My memories are part of what made me who I am, and here I am, now. I’m more apt to look forward and draw on my resilience, friends and family, or a good long walk when I need to feel sustained. If I reflect on memories it’s for nostalgia (or trying to remember a specific detail), not for sustenance. If I talk about a memory with my daughters because they asked a question it’s the interaction with them that sustains.
I have many good memories, however
I want to be present to this now moment & not live in the past or future trip.
I have been working very hard to be mindful & present to what is right in front of me now. I can get very melancholy if I keep looking back which can be harmful to my mental health.
I don’t want to be sad. I choose to be joyful.
Happy Day to All here.
🕊️♥️
Pkr ! Hallelujah to that and I want it to be my answer as well because right now I have jetlag and I’m also having a hard time with adjusting to getting back here. I just arrived at home and I am sort of confused and not quite sure what I’m supposed to do with all the stuff that just happened.
As others have mentioned, memories don’t sustain me. I think of what Daniel Kahneman wrote about the “remembering mind” vs the “experiencing mind.” When we remember, we tend to remember the beginning of something and its end, and the highest and lowest points. The rest becomes vapor. But when we’re in an experience, the mind registers every aspect. So the very nature of memory is incomplete.
I have bursts of pleasant memories and nostalgia, but they seem like potent little visitors vs. something that actually sustains, or something to linger on. Same with the dark memories. The work seems to involve integrating those memories that have not been integrated, appreciating the good memories, and experiencing life now.
I don’t have any sustainable memories, because I live simply these days like clouds passing in the sky. It helps me clear out bad memories and create good ones like going out to lunch with Ngoc this afternoon.
I have many good memories of childhood summertimes that when I processed them as an adult, I saw how I was protected and kept safe. I had nurturing adults in their own limited ways. PS. To my fellow Grateful journeyers, I thank you for your ❤️s, prayers, thoughts, and support offered during the recent Minneapolis tragedy. Collectively they are a healing balm not just for me but for many here.. I work with first responders, those who ran in to help save those they could and witnessed the carnage. My role is a secondary responder, working with newer immigrants, who’re also trying to understand. Peaceful weekend Blessings to each of you 🫶🏽☮️
I don’t know that my memories sustain me but memories of my children as preschoolers, memories of all of the community theatre productions in which I participated, memories of being a volunteer entertainer with the New Orleans recreation department bringing joy to the residents of nursing homes, mental hospitals and assisted living facilities are all precious to me. So many relationships that brought joy into my life.
At this point in my life, though, my focus is on the Eternal NOW–the desire to live each moment NOW–to truly be present. NOW is it. When I read Richard Rohr’s meditation this morning, he shared a personal experience that was so helpful to me. He definitely had an AHA! moment when driving to the post office. I share it below:
Practicing the Presence at a Stoplight
Father Richard describes a moment of spiritual awakening that led to a regular practice of presence in his daily life:
The Center for Action and Contemplation is located in the South Valley of Albuquerque on a street called Five Points Road. For many years I made it my job to take care of the mail. People around the center and at the post office used to tease me by calling me the mailman. I would pick up and deliver the mail for my own little hermitage, the local Franciscans, and the Center. I just felt so useful, bringing mail back and forth. It was an obsession, really, and every day I would sit at the five-way light at the end of our road. To my Type A personality, it always seemed like an interminably long light, but one day, it seemed even longer than usual, and I clearly heard God saying to me, “Richard, are you really going to be any happier on the other side of Bridge Avenue?”
I had to wonder, “If you’re not happy on this side of Bridge Avenue, you’re not going to be happy on that side of Bridge Avenue. So why not just be happy now?” It’s that simple and that hard. It became a place for my little daily meditation. Every time I stopped at that red light, I thought, “Okay, here I get to practice it again. Everything is right here, right now. If I can’t experience God and love and myself and everything that matters on this side of Bridge Avenue, I probably won’t experience it over there.” I hope you can find your own examples.
That’s what we mean by the practice of the present moment. I cannot think of any spiritual practice which will transform our lives into love and into God more than simply trying to live in the naked now, in the sacrament of the present moment. There’s nothing to “figure out” about this practice, so don’t even try. Figuring it out isn’t really helpful. When we are an alert presence, placing one foot in front of the other, there is no separation anymore between the secular and the sacred, between ourselves and God.
Reference: Adapted from Richard Rohr, Living the Eternal Now (Center for Action and Contemplation, 2005). Available as MP3 download.
A good reminder for me: “There’s nothing to “figure out” about this practice, so don’t even try. Figuring it out isn’t really helpful.” Thanks Carol Ann.
I try not to go too far back and I try to avoid nostalgia. But, memories are hard to resist.
I like to go back a few days or months to moments and places and people that felt good.
Sitting and enjoying a view with my wife, floating in a lake, or flying down a hill on my bike.
But I have to be careful. Wallowing in the past can become a trap for me.
I do like to remind myself, what it was like to surrender. To finally give up resisting. This is something that keeps me in a more receptive state.
Yes, this. My memories are part of what made me who I am, and here I am, now. I’m more apt to look forward and draw on my resilience, friends and family, or a good long walk when I need to feel sustained. If I reflect on them it’s for nostalgia (or trying to remember a specific detail), not for sustenance.
I do not feel sustained by my memories. They are there to look at if I want to, but they do not sustain me in my now. Sure, I have some beautiful memories, and I can smile back on a lot and be grateful. But there are the memories that are not beautiful at all, and I’ve done a great job at not dwelling on them. While everything I’ve been through has helped me become who I am today, it is my work now that sustains me… my mindfulness practices and will to be the person I want to be rather than the person everyone expected me to be in the past.
Today is Loc and me 5th wedding anniversary. I’ll never forget the time when my sponsor and his friends drove me from California to Minnesota to meet Loc for the first time; a 27-hour trip. Our love story has continued to grow thanks to the supportive people around us and their kindness. Happy weekend to everyone! 🌸
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Oh, what a life I have lived . . .
there are memories I will be sorry to lose,
because I think that perhaps they will fall away
after I leave this world.
I don’t want to think this,
but memories are connected with ego
and I’m pretty sure the ego will fall away too.
It makes me a little sad
because so many of them are precious
and I love revisiting them,
but as I continue to grow and learn
perhaps I’ll understand more
and find it less painful to let them go
when it is time.
I have both joyful and sorrowful . . .
for now,
their footsteps echo
as they are recalled,
whether bidden or unbidden.
Some comfort me in the moment
and others are harsh with regret,
but they are all mine
for now.
I don’t feel like they sustain me . . .
they don’t really make me any braver.
Nor do they make me yearn less.
I’m busy in the Now,
and if I dwell on them too much
I will be sacrificing the gifts held in the present moment.
I can indulge,
sneak a little taste once in awhile,
explore what they have taught me,
but then
I am compelled to move on
and participate in the Now. ♥
Memories sustain me in diverse ways they are the key to my future such as when I needed boosters’ flashback of memories of happy times. my memories educate me, …. Memories of all beings who have cross my path guide me to live fully with love and to remember that I have this moment to live and make a difference in my being and the beings here at this moment and those who have not encounter me or will not meet me. I journalize to keep moment’s memories for reflection later or to recall lessons learned or …. I respond to the questions on my journal and occasionally respond online. I am grateful for you responding to these questions as I have returned to some of your answers to deal with moments of related situation, your responds sustain me at that moment. Your memories helped me. My memories’ garden is fully of moments of trees, flowers, fruits, vegetables, unwanted plants, weeds …, but only use memories to live fully now. My memories are my diaries to live moment by moment and I hope my legacy memories will be one of love.
My daily moments are moments of my life as I practice gratitude and be grateful and these moments are my memories.
What a beautiful perspective,
dear Kansha . . .
I too,
can learn from what you share. ♥
I don’t think memories sustain me. In fact, memories can often make me feel badly even the happy ones because if I’m always comparing my life to something that was in the past how could my life ever compare or be good enough? Mostly our memories are not even accurate that has been proven many times by scientists.
I think life/truth sustains me and brings me back to the present moment and shows me what is really happening.
My memories are part of what made me who I am, and here I am, now. I’m more apt to look forward and draw on my resilience, friends and family, or a good long walk when I need to feel sustained. If I reflect on memories it’s for nostalgia (or trying to remember a specific detail), not for sustenance. If I talk about a memory with my daughters because they asked a question it’s the interaction with them that sustains.
I have missed your reflections Barb. Enjoyed “it’s the interaction with them that sustains.”
I have many good memories, however
I want to be present to this now moment & not live in the past or future trip.
I have been working very hard to be mindful & present to what is right in front of me now. I can get very melancholy if I keep looking back which can be harmful to my mental health.
I don’t want to be sad. I choose to be joyful.
Happy Day to All here.
🕊️♥️
Pkr ! Hallelujah to that and I want it to be my answer as well because right now I have jetlag and I’m also having a hard time with adjusting to getting back here. I just arrived at home and I am sort of confused and not quite sure what I’m supposed to do with all the stuff that just happened.
As others have mentioned, memories don’t sustain me. I think of what Daniel Kahneman wrote about the “remembering mind” vs the “experiencing mind.” When we remember, we tend to remember the beginning of something and its end, and the highest and lowest points. The rest becomes vapor. But when we’re in an experience, the mind registers every aspect. So the very nature of memory is incomplete.
I have bursts of pleasant memories and nostalgia, but they seem like potent little visitors vs. something that actually sustains, or something to linger on. Same with the dark memories. The work seems to involve integrating those memories that have not been integrated, appreciating the good memories, and experiencing life now.
I don’t have any sustainable memories, because I live simply these days like clouds passing in the sky. It helps me clear out bad memories and create good ones like going out to lunch with Ngoc this afternoon.
I have many good memories of childhood summertimes that when I processed them as an adult, I saw how I was protected and kept safe. I had nurturing adults in their own limited ways. PS. To my fellow Grateful journeyers, I thank you for your ❤️s, prayers, thoughts, and support offered during the recent Minneapolis tragedy. Collectively they are a healing balm not just for me but for many here.. I work with first responders, those who ran in to help save those they could and witnessed the carnage. My role is a secondary responder, working with newer immigrants, who’re also trying to understand. Peaceful weekend Blessings to each of you 🫶🏽☮️
Thank you for the work you do. It’s essential.
Sending love to you, Carla. You are doing important work.
Please take good care of yourself too.
Sending love and support as you and the community continue to process this tragedy, Carla.
I don’t know that my memories sustain me but memories of my children as preschoolers, memories of all of the community theatre productions in which I participated, memories of being a volunteer entertainer with the New Orleans recreation department bringing joy to the residents of nursing homes, mental hospitals and assisted living facilities are all precious to me. So many relationships that brought joy into my life.
At this point in my life, though, my focus is on the Eternal NOW–the desire to live each moment NOW–to truly be present. NOW is it. When I read Richard Rohr’s meditation this morning, he shared a personal experience that was so helpful to me. He definitely had an AHA! moment when driving to the post office. I share it below:
Practicing the Presence at a Stoplight
Father Richard describes a moment of spiritual awakening that led to a regular practice of presence in his daily life:
The Center for Action and Contemplation is located in the South Valley of Albuquerque on a street called Five Points Road. For many years I made it my job to take care of the mail. People around the center and at the post office used to tease me by calling me the mailman. I would pick up and deliver the mail for my own little hermitage, the local Franciscans, and the Center. I just felt so useful, bringing mail back and forth. It was an obsession, really, and every day I would sit at the five-way light at the end of our road. To my Type A personality, it always seemed like an interminably long light, but one day, it seemed even longer than usual, and I clearly heard God saying to me, “Richard, are you really going to be any happier on the other side of Bridge Avenue?”
I had to wonder, “If you’re not happy on this side of Bridge Avenue, you’re not going to be happy on that side of Bridge Avenue. So why not just be happy now?” It’s that simple and that hard. It became a place for my little daily meditation. Every time I stopped at that red light, I thought, “Okay, here I get to practice it again. Everything is right here, right now. If I can’t experience God and love and myself and everything that matters on this side of Bridge Avenue, I probably won’t experience it over there.” I hope you can find your own examples.
That’s what we mean by the practice of the present moment. I cannot think of any spiritual practice which will transform our lives into love and into God more than simply trying to live in the naked now, in the sacrament of the present moment. There’s nothing to “figure out” about this practice, so don’t even try. Figuring it out isn’t really helpful. When we are an alert presence, placing one foot in front of the other, there is no separation anymore between the secular and the sacred, between ourselves and God.
Reference: Adapted from Richard Rohr, Living the Eternal Now (Center for Action and Contemplation, 2005). Available as MP3 download.
My immediate thought was how much happier I am traveling places by bike rather than driving, even if it takes longer. A stoplight isn’t a hindrance, it’s a chance to rest and look around. This reminds me of a couple of my blog posts on biking, time, and being in the moment.
https://bikestylelife.com/2011/09/14/biking-as-downtime-and-other-musings-on-overproductivity/
https://bikestylelife.com/2011/09/24/its-all-in-the-attitude/
A good reminder for me: “There’s nothing to “figure out” about this practice, so don’t even try. Figuring it out isn’t really helpful.” Thanks Carol Ann.
I would say they teach me.
I too,
have learned a lot from reviewing old memories,
dear Yram . . .
thank you for bringing this up. ♥
I can relate, Yram.
I try not to go too far back and I try to avoid nostalgia. But, memories are hard to resist.
I like to go back a few days or months to moments and places and people that felt good.
Sitting and enjoying a view with my wife, floating in a lake, or flying down a hill on my bike.
But I have to be careful. Wallowing in the past can become a trap for me.
I do like to remind myself, what it was like to surrender. To finally give up resisting. This is something that keeps me in a more receptive state.
“Wallowing in the past can become a trap for me.”
Yes it can,
dear Charlie,
and I,
like you,
give up resisting,
and am more receptive as a result. ♥
Charlie, I hear you and I relate.
I have many memories that sustain me.
Wishing everyone a peaceful memory making weekend 🙂
I wouldn’t say that memories sustain me. I have beautiful memories that enrich my present but I don’t feel like I call those up when I need a boost.
Yes, this. My memories are part of what made me who I am, and here I am, now. I’m more apt to look forward and draw on my resilience, friends and family, or a good long walk when I need to feel sustained. If I reflect on them it’s for nostalgia (or trying to remember a specific detail), not for sustenance.
I do not feel sustained by my memories. They are there to look at if I want to, but they do not sustain me in my now. Sure, I have some beautiful memories, and I can smile back on a lot and be grateful. But there are the memories that are not beautiful at all, and I’ve done a great job at not dwelling on them. While everything I’ve been through has helped me become who I am today, it is my work now that sustains me… my mindfulness practices and will to be the person I want to be rather than the person everyone expected me to be in the past.
Today is Loc and me 5th wedding anniversary. I’ll never forget the time when my sponsor and his friends drove me from California to Minnesota to meet Loc for the first time; a 27-hour trip. Our love story has continued to grow thanks to the supportive people around us and their kindness. Happy weekend to everyone! 🌸
Sending much joy and happiness to you and Loc, dear Ngoc.
I hope,
dear Ngoc,
that you and Loc
have a lovely
first day of your new year together. ♥
Happy anniversary!
Happy Anniversary! Blessings.
Happy anniversary you two!
Happy Anniversary!
Have a wonderful day and year
My Ngoc, I’m looking forward to going out to lunch with you today at Kyuramen.
Congratulations!🎈
Happy 5th anniversary to you and Loc.
Happy Anniversary to you & Loc!