Something happened a few days ago with at least three friends present. The details I am looking for were public; everyone in the room should have been paying attention. However no one, except for the two directly involved, seems to remember the details.
There are two initial conclusions. Whatever happened was forgettable. The proof point is simply that nobody seems to remember anything. Two, it was predictable. It is hard to remember the mundane. It is as if we file mundane memories with other mundane events, only to realize later when we try to remember the specifics that it is hard to find a specific memory among the forgettable.
I wonder how much has passed through my life that I have forgotten or classified as mundane. In blunt terms, have I forgotten anything that I wish I could remember? Have I lost anything valuable?
It is easy to gloss over the question with a glib “I have never forgotten anything important.” I am not sure who would challenge me. They should! I can think of lots of blurry memories that I wish were crisp and detailed. When I read a comment attributed to God in the Psalm, “You called to me in your pain; I got you out of a bad place. I answered you from where the thunder hides, I proved you at Meribah Fountain,” (Psalm 81.7) I realize there is a lot more that I should add to my list of missing memories.
As I struggle with the past, I realize the distraction is taking me away from the moment at hand. Am I willing to enhance this moment so I will remember? Will the moment to come be any different than the past?
The present and the future can be different. I can choose to make each unique.
Memories are special when we flag them as such. Being open, seeing Compassion, Care, and Community at work, is an opportunity to take note. Using time to recall beauty and wonder can be the start of ever growing top-10 lists. You and I have options.
