Memory Lane

I've always been so fascinated with the workings and mysteries of the brain. I will catch myself thinking about how the brain actually thinks, and then I fall DEEP into that rabbit hole. I love picturing how the synapses fire and make connections all day long. In another life, I think brain surgery might have been my calling. 

I have an EXCELLENT memory. I remember so many minuscule and mundane things. However, during chemotherapy I experienced what my doctor's called "Chemo Brain". I could have a 10 minute conversation with someone and not remember a single word of it a minute later. I also suffer(ed) from some memory loss during that time of my life. It's been almost 15 years and I still have, whatI call, "Flashbacks" of the most random things from that time. I usually will call or text someone who was around during that time to confirm that those flashbacks actually happened and aren't just figments of my imagination. Even still, sometime someone will share a memory with me from that time and I don't remember it whatsoever. It makes me sad a little. 

Another aspect of memory that intrigues me is how the senses are directly linked to memory. Smells and sounds in particular.

This weekend we went to the lake with our friends. Waiting at the ramp, I was hit with the smell of lake water, exhaust, and sunblock. In a single second I was a little girl dangling my toes in the sparkling water off of the wooden platform of our Reinell boat at Lake Powell. I could hear my cousins laughing in the background, and pictured my dad at the wheel. 

Today, a song from a lifetime ago brought tears to my eyes as memories flooded my mind. The melody matched the beating of my heart and in an instant my mind took me to a place and time I hadn't visited for awhile. 

Johny and I have been married for almost 8 years (which I still can't believe). During quarantine we pulled out a bucket of DVDs from our shed and found our wedding video. Memory overload!

We both laughed, and cried and smiled the biggest smiles. Faces of family and friends who shared our special day, and are now looking over us from heaven. Songs that we still can't help but slow dance to when Alexa plays them during dinner time. A close up of the cake topper we hand crafted the night before our wedding because it was our only wedding assignment...and we forgot all about it! (Thanks to our buddy/photographer Matt for asking us about it, otherwise we wouldn't have had one!) And us. Two young and crazy in love kids who had NO idea what we were getting into when we chose to say "I Do" that September day. That little video holds some of my most precious memories. 

One of my biggest fears is not remembering. I want to remember all of the things that matter the most, and even the little ones that don't. The memories that bring sweet smiles, deep belly laughs, or even the sorrowful tears. Our memories are our internal history. 

As I share this, I'm going to ask you, my readers, what is one of your favorite and most treasured memories? Is it linked to something else? A song, a smell, a sound? What is the connection? I'd love to know! 

Walk down memory lane with me.