Reflex Memory

All this week I have been having flashes. Memory flashes where I am suddenly reminded of something, and, then after another second, the flash is gone.

Like so much in life.

We had a baby, we had a little girl, we had this little tiny family. And then one day we are all on our separate paths. Maybe it is the holiday season that brings all this up.

I am remembering all the hub-bub and chaos of Thanksgiving and Christmas with a young child. You see things through their eyes. Or maybe that is romanticizing things a bit. At the moment all we feel is chaos. The memory filters out the stress and I am left remembering the wonder. The pure joy. Little elemental transcendent sparkles like snowflakes on rosy cheeks—but only for a second, before melting away, and disappearing altogether.

Each ornament, each stocking, each damaged school art project retrieved from the Xmas Decoration Bin pulled out of storage—each has a story to tell, some unintended spontaneous flash memory to give up.

This season take the time to sit down and write. Respond to those flash memories by jotting them down. There will be times, years hence, when you will be glad you took the time. When the babies are grown and the kids miles away, when the candles don’t seem to penetrate the dark night.