Memories can be sweet. They give us a glimpse of another time and another place, which were dear to us. They give us comfort and warmth in our heart. They are and will always be part of who we are today!

But, memories could have a life of their own; they could grow so much as to take over our present, and can be a handicap for moving on in life.

Memories sometimes remind us of what we lost, but not of what we gained. I used to be young, healthy and beautiful, and… I have a billion pictures that constantly remind me of it. I’m just always stuck in what I was, what I had, and what I’m not anymore! Yet if not continuously bombarded and distracted by old memories, I can see that though I did lose some, I did gain much: knowledge, wisdom (I hope!), experience, new friendships, new achievements,…

So yes, I do believe taking too many pictures is not good. The mind itself takes its own pictures, in a healthy dose. It gives my memory enough, not too much! I shall learn to trust my mind more than my camera!

Also, memories are oftentimes remembered better than they were at the time. They are idealized and distorted! I mean I know I wasn’t the happiest person growing up (hey, I grew up during the 15-years Lebanese war), but strangely, I remember that time as if it was the happiest thing! Not bad, right? Here’s the problem: sometimes, nostalgia twists my perspective, and I so much idealized the past, that I fail to see the beauty of the present. Yes, that’s where the problem is! I feel nothing will measure up to the past; everything from the past becomes extremely precious: the places the food, the songs, the objects… and that the past will never be repeated. Absolutely, NOTHING will ever be repeated, but what will come could well be better, far batter, if I just manage to actually see it, without judging and continuously comparing it!

My great teacher used to say “True, the good days have passed, but better days are coming ahead!” I believe in that!

I am most certainly not trying to erase my memory, never! I’m just attempting to treat it for what it’s worth. Memories can sometimes (not always) hold me down, and in order to advance, I need a certain level of detachment.