This is Day 3 of the Positive 100, a countdown to Rare Disease Day 2014 and an exercise in being positive despite it all.
Memories come in all sorts of flavors. Some sweet, some bitter. Some faded away with time and some as vivid as the moment they occurred.
But memories are a gift. They were all a moment. An experience. I’ve sure had a lot of them.
God gave us memories that we might have roses in December. ~J.M. Barrie, Courage, 1922
Sure, I’ve had a broken heart. I’ve failed at more than a few things. Lost something valuable. Lost my temper. All those are memories, sure, but today is about remembering something special. A person, a moment. Something that made you the you that you are today. Maybe it is new friends and fancy dinners. Maybe it is old friends and secrets you will take to the grave from 3am trips to the diner. Maybe it’s that Christmas you and your cousin showed up in the same outfit (unplanned).
Maybe it is inside jokes with your dad or the first friend you made in college. Maybe it is the moment you knew you had your dream job. Or that time you flew to meet your best friend in New York.
Memories are powerful medicine. They can help you see the good stuff standing tall in your past. They can remind you to look for the best in your current situation. They can help you realize that you are far from being alone.
My favorite memory
It is not, quite shockingly, my lunch at the French Laundry. Nor is it that video shoot we did in Dallas. It isn’t college football tailgates or brownies from Kyra.
It was, however, a close one between frozen custard for breakfast with my Papa and my trip to Neuschwanstein in Bavaria. The fairy tale princess in me chose the castle.
There are a few things about that trip I would change. Mostly the stomach bug I got in Nuremburg. And maybe the person I traveled with. Or the fact that our visit was far too short. But the day I spent in a fairy-tale castle was one of the best days I’ve ever had. I made friends with strangers on the train. I ate some traditional German food. There were non-stop breathtaking views of the Alps and dinner in a little restaurant where no one spoke English and tried to serve me French fries.
I can hear the sounds of the tourists fade away as you climb to the castle. I can smell the cool, fresh air. The colors are all just a little more vibrant than they are here. And I can’t wait to go back.
Share a favorite memory today on instagram or twitter with the #100positivedays hashtag or post it on the Chronic Positivity Project page on Facebook.