Friday, June 3, 2011

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.

2 comments:

  1. What a beautiful entry. As with this entry, my traffic incident Thursday was a great reminder to appreciate each moment. Something Thursday's incident didn't remind me to do was to actually keep making use of Li'l D's elephant journal. I bought it a couple of weeks ago to make sure I capture the new words he's saying and cognizance he's reflecting. I wrote in it exactly two days. It's time to find that and make sure I put it somewhere prominent! Thank you for reminding me.

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  2. Thanks, Deb! I'm glad what I wrote reminded you of your son's journal. I have journals for my kids too, but thus far, all the things I've written down are on little slips of paper all around the house. One of these days, I'll get those words into the journals. I've been half-looking for an archival pen...

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