Fragile

As I watched TV last night, relaxing after a hectic day, it occurred to me that soon--too soon--that very moment would be at most a distant memory, at least, forgotten. And this moment that I'm writing this entry--and the moment you're reading it? Gone. Lost. It's just a matter of time, some things forgotten almost immediately, others clinging to our memories like Velcro before finally letting go. And I feel an almost overwhelming sadness that so much in life is so easily erased, precious moments shared with others that we so often lose, gone from us forever.

 

I wrote this 100-words entry in late December of 2010, but I think about these things often, especially as I watch my children grow up at a speed that's much too fast. I write down so much of what my kids say and do. I record them constantly. I take pictures. But already there are so many things I've forgotten--things that, as they were happening, I remember telling myself I would never forget--but they're already lost to me. Knowing this--that memory is breakable, fragile--has made me even more aware of how important it is to appreciate every moment as it occurs--to live every moment--so that even if my memory fails me, I can be confident that I was truly present in every second I had.