Revisiting the Past

Just recently I read about the value going back through our journals if we have them. In the book, Life Lessons for Women, from the creators of Chicken Soup for the Soul, the reader is encouraged to “…look back over your life, not with a critical eye, but rather to discover the connecting thread that gives your life rhythm and meaning. In recalling our lives we re-collect ourselves.”

I don’t know about the rest of you but I don’t remember a whole lot from my past. Oh, I remember some things but there’s a lot that I’ve forgotten. So I decided to round up as many of my old diary and journal entries as I could find – thank goodness for the counsel from my church to keep a journal and for the schoolteachers who “made” me do it.

I’ve spent the last week or so traveling back in time and revisiting my past. It’s been an enlightening journey of contrasts. I’ve laughed and cried, stood in awe of strengths forgotten, shook my head at foolishness and silly worries, rejoiced and sorrowed, felt gratitude and remorse. But most important of all, I reacquainted myself with a girl that I had all but forgotten existed.

I am just to the end of my second year of college right where I’m getting ready to leave to serve a mission for my church. I’m excited to see what new adventures will be brought back to my memory next. I find myself repeatedly saying, “I don’t remember that!” I’m especially excited to get to the part where I meet my husband and reminisce about our courtship, wedding and early years of marriage. I hope I wrote lots, we’ll see.

For some, the thoughts of revisiting the past may not be a very inviting prospect. Sometimes the past holds painful memories, but I love what Jack Canfield said about that in his book, The Success Principles, “Just take a deep breath and realize that this is all part of the process of your journey. Everything in the past has actually been perfect. Everything in your past has led you to this transformative moment in time. Everyone – including you – has always done the best they could with what they knew at the time. Now you are about to know more.”

So if you have a minute and are so inclined, take some time and revisit your past. If you don’t have a journal, look through old pictures and see what memories come to mind; call a relative and chat about the past; or just take some quite time and reflect back over your life. Try to capture some of those memories on paper or tape. You’ll be glad you did and so will your loved ones.