If you have ever watched the movie, The Way We Were, then you are familiar with the ever-famous song Memories. As I think about the holidays, I am reminded of how life is unpredictable. How quickly life can change. Life is so short, and within an instant, the life that we are accustomed to could very well be different. I think this is the reason why the song Memories has always saddened me. It is a gentle reminder of how the holidays each year are always different. Some grow up, move out, grow older, and move away. Some relationships last what seem like an eternity, while others seem to fade away.

As we think about memories, it’s important to think about where we are at that moment. To be kind and forgiving. To build relationships with family and friends, and to appreciate what we do have, rather than what we wished we had in life. All of it could change in a second. I can remember growing up spending time with my grandparents. It was the little things that they taught me. I can remember sitting in the living room learning how to knit. I can remember standing in the kitchen in my grandmother’s house and learning how to make Italian Christmas cookies. These were the traditions that I remember. The memories that brought meaning to me.

The holidays are a wonderful time to celebrate, but for many, it’s a time of loneliness and the reflection of memories. I think about that one day I won’t have the same holidays as I’m used to. That I won’t have the same people in my life then as I do today, and like the song’s lyrics, I think about important it is to remember.  We make our lives purposely busy. We can forget that the memories that we once had, the people we have now, the ones we may have in the future, and the time that we spend with them are more valuable than any workday.

As we approach another holiday, think about the memories, the pictures that we have etched in our minds, and the laughter that fills our souls. Think about at that moment what life was like and how it was re-written today.  Celebrate every relationship knowing that no matter what resolutions are made, how many promises were broken, memories stay with us for a lifetime and can be replenished with more. We can keep the memories of the past in our hearts, and the newness of those to come in our minds, it’s what’s meant to be. Happy New Year!