As time rages on and the end of lfe draws closer, we often have to rely on our memories to get us through each day. At this point in the journey, it becomes harder to recall some of those most precious times. However, they do remain. They just lie dormant for a whle until we bring them to life agan. As the memories dim, a part of us also dies. That’s why it’s a good idea to write them down for future reference. Keepng a journal or diary might sound old fashioned, but it can be helpful for any age.

Someone once said that life brings tears, smiles and memories.  The tears dry, the smiles fade, but the memories last forever. I happen to have a selective memory.  It’s a good defense mechanism for me to forget about some of the not-so-good times in my life.  The problem is some of the tiniest treasures can be erased right along with those difficult ones.

Some people are fortunate to have great memories. My oldest daughter is one of them. If I’ve forgotten something that occurred during her lifetime, I can count on her to recall every detail. She reminded me of an event when she was no more than six years old. It was a difficult time in our family. We’d just purchased our first home, which was indeed a money pit. There were medical bills, no insurance, loss of a job and pursut of a new one. My husband took a second job as a security guard at night, so that he could supplement our income. This was a time when women didn’t often work outsde the home. (How archaic!) When he arrived home from work, the chldren would already be tucked in heir beds, My daughter remembered how he would come in to kiss them as they slept and tuck a piece of gum under their pillows.

That simple memory turned into a tiny treasure which I will hold dearly from now on.   It reminded me of the hard times we were going through, but it also brought to mind the love my husband has for our children and how he deeply regretted having to be apart from them in order to provide for them.

Memories are wonderful ways for us to look at the good things in life, but sometimes the bad things should be remembered.  We learn from our mistakes.  God places trials in our lives for a purpose.  Taking the bad with the good isn’t such a negative idea.  Putting the entire incident together shows us what made the memory so special.

We can try to hide from our past; we can cover our hurt by not talking about it or simply forgetting it; we might ease the pain temporarily by doing so – but everything that happens to us has a purpose – even our memories – good or bad.