Saturday, January 22, 2011

I have gotten to spend quite a bit of time over the last few weeks seeing people from my past.  Last night I got to enjoy the company of several dear friends from high school.  Being around people from your past always brings back emotions with them.  You recall feelings and memories not brought up in ages, and so on.  Anyhow, I was thinking about memories in and of themselves.  I was thinking about how powerful they are, and yet how vague they can be.  Few things move me more than the Ocean.  I have always felt close to God when I stand next to it, when I look at it.  It is so deep, so powerful, and so expansive, it is one of the few things that never fails to make me feel insignificant (in a good way).  How wonderful it is that I can recall some of those things.  Yet, it isn't the same.  Memories, as great as they are, and they are great, are just shadows of the real thing.  The more I think about it, the more I realize that I appreciate the perfect blend of memory that we are given.  Our memories serve to tell us who we are remind us of wonderful things, but also what we are missing.  Without them, we would leave the presence of someone we love being near, and they would simply cease to exist in our minds.  On the other hand, if memories were true and perfect, capable of capturing and keeping every experience whole, we would only need to experience something once.  Proximity wouldn't be necessary for us to truly experience someone or somewhere.  We wouldn't ever miss anyone.  As it is, we can recall to varying degrees our experiences, yet they leave us wanting more.  Even simple things, like the sound of wind through trees, can surprise me when I hear it again.  That's how it should be.  I certainly wouldn't want to feel like someone could be near me once, and never need to near me again to experience what it is like to be near me, and I most certainly wouldn't want it the other way.  I have a million memories of Lake City, Colorado.  The beauty of the mountains can be seen and felt, but only just enough to tell me I need to go back.  I need to be there again.  It is the same with those we love.  My memory cannot contain the greatness and beauty of my loved ones.  They tell me we need to meet again.

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