Memories

It’s a new year. I was just checking in with myself. Kind of a “need to take me in for service” impulse. I am aging. Physically, yes. Mentally, no. Spiritually … no. But as I was “kicking tires” the issue of my memory came to mind. For my more “elderly” friends, this is/might be an issue to consider too.

Started me thinking. My mind works pretty well. I read easily and comprehend. I can discern what makes sense to me and what does not. I (usually) know when to keep quiet, and when to speak. But then there is the issue of recall … short and long-term memory. A tapestry of thoughts housed within each of us. Good and not so good. But volumes of ideas that have helped write the paths we travel over a lifetime.

As in years pass, we become more aware of how our memories enrich our lives. We check the “rear view mirror” more often. Warmly for the most part, nostalgically.

Picture albums full of those clear, some faded prints that came before iPhones. Songs that take you back to places, experiences as though they were now. An aroma in the kitchen that takes you back to, “That’s how mom used to cook it.” A first or early love that decades later still evokes faint but distinct memories, emotions. A regret. The wins … the losses. Friends, family members who have passed.

There are so many memories to be retrieved. And yet as we age, there are changes in our brain that may block our memories from surfacing. I have been reading about synapses. Synapses (see below) are the junctions between neurons in the brain that allow them to communicate with each other. They are essential for learning, memory, and other cognitive functions. Synapses are plentiful when we are young. As we age, we lose some contributing to memory loss … even dementia, Alzheimer’s. Maybe 15-20%

So, here I am. “What’s his name?!” … “Now, where did I put that? There it is right in front of our eyes. Or something as simple as, “What day is it.” Like right now. The time through Christmas and New Years?

Am I losing my mind? Is my short-term memory fading? Do I need to check into the memory care unit down the street? Nah! The synapses in my brain may simply be fewer than they used to be.

I’m taking Nancy to UNC Chapel Hill tomorrow. A nationally known neurosurgeon will operate on her in three days there. Is serious. She’s a warrior. The outcome is unknown.

We will be in North Carolina for a week. Memories? I’m revisiting as many as my brain will allow. Not because Nance’s surgery is life threatening. Just because this life experience triggers so much. So much wonderful history we have shared over almost seven decades. Seems the challenge of remembering things has subsided. The memories abound.

Yes … your prayers please. Prayers work. So too does the revisiting of all the memories.