Savoring the Good Ole Days

Do you remember when....?

There's a certain amount of joy in traversing down memory lane. Friendships that drifted apart can be revisited. Warm, fond memories are awoken. A sense of personal growth is achieved.

At the same time, there's danger in memory lane. Some memories become distorted, remembered more fondly than the reality. If the dull, boring, or unpleasant moments are forgotten, the past can get put on a pedestal.

How are we supposed to savor the good ole days without idolizing them? How do we remember the past while continuing to live in the present?

Liz's Anti-Idolizing Remembering Plan:
1. Do take time to look through old scrapbooks and pictures. Do take time to watch old videos and laugh.
2. Continue creating new memories in the present.
3. Plan to create new memories in the future. Anticipate this.
4. Take your memories with a grain of salt: did I really enjoy an event in the fond way I recorded it? For instance, I fondly remember my first Indiana house, but only having air in 2 of the 5(ish) rooms of the house was warm in the summer.
5. Think of ways to bring back aspects of the past that were positive and beneficial. My husband's family grew up having restaurant pizza a few Fridays a month. If my husband misses that tradition, we can bring it back.

The past will always hold fond memories, but things were also hard in the past. Modern technology has made life easier. Think A/C, heating, refrigerators, cell phones, skype, cars, and the list goes on.

If you miss some aspect of the good ole days, bring it back. If you miss snacks and fellowships after church, bring in the snacks. If you miss technology free romantic walks, take your spouse on a walk, but silence or leave the phones at home. If you miss the home cooked foods, make some.

Savor your past, it has shaped your present, but don't forget to live in the present and don't forget to anticipate the future.