Memories and time

  Memories and time. It's all any of us really have. Our memories can get us through tough times. But memories have to be sorted out. There are the good ones and the ones that teach us lessons. The secret is to remember the lesson, not the action that taught us that lesson. In doing so, your memories will always be good ones. It's not denial, it's a choice. Reminders are always a good thing when chosen carefully. The reminder should bring comfort to you, not necessarily send a message to others. They are always a personal thing and public displays are not required. Still, I think there are those that require a public display to feel satisfied in some fashion. Isn't that the purpose of parades, memorials and the like. A public display of emotion. A reaffirmation of a collective sentiment. 

  Randy Travis and Don Schultz co-wrote a song titled Heroes and friends. One line says, your heroes will help you find good in yourself. I'd say that was true of your memories as well. In remembering the past, we can find what pleased us the most and relive that moment. You need only share that feeling with time. And time, time is mysterious thing. I'm seventy years old but not in my mind, not in my memories. It's time that reminds me that I am seventy, time doesn't make me seventy. As for heroes I have a few in my memory. Those that I will never forget for one reason or another. Old friends and new friends alike will help you find good in yourself. 

  I think it is a mistake to mourn the time that has passed. I believe George Patton was right with this statement. " It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived." The same applies to all those that we have known and loved that have moved on, whether by choice, or by death. We should be thankful that such people lived and thankful we were fortunate enough to have them in our lives. It's not a celebration, it's the acceptance of a gift. A gift that remains with us forever. 

  It is that time of the year where sentiment, nostalgia, and the past move to the forefront. Christians are celebrating the birth, the beginning of a new life. The Jewish people are celebrating the dedication of their temple in Jerusalem. The second Temple actually. Muslims do not celebrate Christmas at all, as it is a Christian holiday. Christianity is the world's largest religion and so dominates this season. Unfortunately, the focus appears to have shifted more to gift giving and holiday parties. Commerce before Christianity. The memories are mostly centered around gifts received, celebrations attended and family gatherings. The celebrated days of yore. And "yore" is an ancient word, a way to say the old days, days gone by or those years in the distant past. 

  The past is pretty much what you remember it to be. That is something you can control. Memories and time. You can't control time, but you can control your memory of that time. What we choose to remember will shape our future and influence the future of those around us. That is the purpose of sentiment. Sentiment forms the foundation for the next generation and those beyond. Sentiment is one of the strongest forces in the universe. It ranks right up there alongside religious convictions. It goes beyond common sense, practicality or logic. Sentiment is an essential building block. I'd say it is the same as sediment. It is what has settled to the bottom and forms the bedrock of man. It is the home of all that is good in the world. Morality and ethics reside in sentiment and sediment. A constant is a world ever changing. Memories and time.