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Day #7 – What memory are you grateful for?

Today marks Day 7 of the 30 Days of Gratitude Prompts. Like the others, it’s impossible to narrow the choices down to only one. But, as I mentioned in an earlier post, “gratitude enlightenment” is about realizing the great number of choices we have. 

And I have many happy memories. Birthdays, holidays, school events, sleepovers, ice skating, sled riding…the list goes on and on. 

But, one of my many favorites is summer vacations at the beach. I was five years old when we took our initial trip to Florida. I remember my first glimpse of the ocean. There was water as far as the eye could see, all the way to the horizon and beyond. The sheer size of it amazed me. I loved how the waves never stopped rolling in. We spent hours riding them on our rafts, trying desperately not to capsize.

We also enjoyed playing in the warm sand, building castles and searching for shells, delighted when we found small crabs and jelly fish. 

Bologna sandwiches somehow tasted better at the beach, despite the sand that always managed to find their way between the slices of bread. 

Sometimes I would lie on my towel, close my eyes and just listen. The hot, tropical sun warmed my bones as the sounds of the surf and seagulls lulled me to sleep.

Of course, it wasn’t all magical. There were painful sunburns and bouts of car sickness and swimmer’s ear. There were fights with siblings and jellyfish stings. Occasionally, a wipeout while riding the waves caused brush burns, swallowed saltwater, and more than a few tears.

But, the memory is funny that way. It’s selective and we tend to remember the good stuff over the bad.

I believe this is one way that we unconsciously choose to be happy.

These wonderful memories were the beginning of my love for the beach. Returning year after year reinforced the feeling that I belonged there. They add to a wealth of other happy memories for which I’m truly grateful.

Spend some time today thinking about a favorite memory of your own. It may help to make a difficult day a little brighter or a good day even better!

Carpe diem!

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