This past month Ron and I have focused on redesigning, reinventing, revising, and restoring but what we will take with us from this time is the overwhelming feeling that it was time to remember.
As Ron built the new website, we had many discussions about what to take forward and what to leave behind. During these conversations, we sifted through photos, past posts and comments from our readers.
By looking back, we saw the little changes that we may not notice every day. We saw subtle glimpses into our children’s growth, news from back home about weddings and births and photos of surreal landscapes we have traversed.
The process of remembering is a grounding and dreamlike dance. It is also a creative process to remember, as we sort and experience the emotions certain memories evoke. We are, in a sense, selecting what to keep alive within us.
We talked about how, at times in the past, we have felt burdened by memories or obligated to remember certain things out of some sort of fear of repeating the same mistakes twice. The Latin origin of remember is memorari and it means to be mindful. What we have learned in this process is that it was our choice to bring any and all memories forward, for better or for worse.
We have noticed that often before huge leaps forward, we pause to glance at all that has come before. It is not permission we are seeking, but strength and momentum to take a new step into an uncertain place. To be mindful is the greatest of gifts as the images and voices of the past gently guide and accompany us into the unknown and give us the courage to remember our way into our next big adventure.
