Holiday Memories
Mind is the realm of memory. These memories are not simply recordings of past events. They are wondrous mixtures of inner and outer experiences that are wrapped in a haze of slow moving clouds. During the holidays the clouds seem to part just enough to remember past Christmas’.
People, places, sights, sounds, aromas, events, tastes’, and sensations appear for a moment and trigger feelings that may have been dormant for a while. Those traditional holiday recipes reawaken our memories of Mom setting the dishes on the table. Holiday songs stir to life remembrances of sing-a-longs and holiday pageants. Hearing the stories of our faith may burn through the clouds evoking a vast array of hopes and dreams.
Unfortunately, many of these memories can be overwhelming when our hearts are struggling with today’s challenges. They may trigger a grief that we believed we had finally laid to rest. They may stir deep seated fears that are born in the insecurities of our daily living. Holiday memories may lead us to believe that the good old days have long since disappeared. Our lives just do not measure up to the way it used to be.
We need to recognize that yesterday’s memories are never actual descriptions of the way things were. They are actual new experiences of the way things were seen through the fog of time and the clouds of the present. We only remember in part, at best. We remember as a 10-year-old looking back to a time that no longer exists through the mind of a 50-year old who has had a great deal more of life.
Do not allow your remembering to distract you from the people and experiences that surround you. Remain mindful of the people who share your journey today and allow your heart to grow two sizes too big as you build new memories together.
People, places, sights, sounds, aromas, events, tastes’, and sensations appear for a moment and trigger feelings that may have been dormant for a while. Those traditional holiday recipes reawaken our memories of Mom setting the dishes on the table. Holiday songs stir to life remembrances of sing-a-longs and holiday pageants. Hearing the stories of our faith may burn through the clouds evoking a vast array of hopes and dreams.
Unfortunately, many of these memories can be overwhelming when our hearts are struggling with today’s challenges. They may trigger a grief that we believed we had finally laid to rest. They may stir deep seated fears that are born in the insecurities of our daily living. Holiday memories may lead us to believe that the good old days have long since disappeared. Our lives just do not measure up to the way it used to be.
We need to recognize that yesterday’s memories are never actual descriptions of the way things were. They are actual new experiences of the way things were seen through the fog of time and the clouds of the present. We only remember in part, at best. We remember as a 10-year-old looking back to a time that no longer exists through the mind of a 50-year old who has had a great deal more of life.
Do not allow your remembering to distract you from the people and experiences that surround you. Remain mindful of the people who share your journey today and allow your heart to grow two sizes too big as you build new memories together.
Tips
At one time or another we play Holiday Mind Games. The rules are simple. When we consider the holidays, we say to ourselves, “I will be happy if…”
When we are young, the sentence may end with a list of toys or other presents. When we are a bit older we may conclude it with a list of friends we want see. A few years later that list may change into a list of more expensive gifts or a promotion, etc. As the years pass our sentence may change again to people who we wish we could see now that they have gone.
There is nothing wrong with longing or making a wish list. But we need to do a little editing of the first part of that sentence. When we tie our happiness to things that are beyond our control, we have given away a good part of ourselves. Happiness that depends on how others act is a very dangerous game. So, I suggest that as you move through this festive season, you change the sentence to “I would really enjoy …” And then, if it doesn’t turn out your life will not be filled with bitter disappointment. But, if it happens you are all primed to feel the joy of gratitude filling your soul. Choose the path that leads to joy!
When we are young, the sentence may end with a list of toys or other presents. When we are a bit older we may conclude it with a list of friends we want see. A few years later that list may change into a list of more expensive gifts or a promotion, etc. As the years pass our sentence may change again to people who we wish we could see now that they have gone.
There is nothing wrong with longing or making a wish list. But we need to do a little editing of the first part of that sentence. When we tie our happiness to things that are beyond our control, we have given away a good part of ourselves. Happiness that depends on how others act is a very dangerous game. So, I suggest that as you move through this festive season, you change the sentence to “I would really enjoy …” And then, if it doesn’t turn out your life will not be filled with bitter disappointment. But, if it happens you are all primed to feel the joy of gratitude filling your soul. Choose the path that leads to joy!
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