"We’re all dependent on positive memories to encourage, inspire, comfort, delight, and heal us."

A thought by H. Norman Wright from his book, When the Past Won't Let You Go (p. 20). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

Yes, we are!

Norman says, "Memories of having been loved. Memories of having been a success. Memories of pleasure. Without these and other healing memories, we remain raw and broken. Very often, a victim’s answer to the question 'When were you last happy?' is 'Never' or 'I don’t remember.' The fact that their lives can be different from the brokenness and pain of the moment isn’t remembered or realized; therefore, achieving that pain-free state isn’t considered an option. The task of healing, then, is in part recovering memories that are healing in nature.(1)"

He goes on, "Memories are not just random thoughts. They exist for a reason. The bottom line is their purpose is to positively influence the present and future based on what we’ve experienced in the past."

He continues, "Memories can serve at least two purposes. They can be very helpful for our present and future or they can hinder our present and future. When we learn from the past and make positive adjustments, growth occurs. But traumatic and painful memories can bring the past into our present and future in unhelpful ways.

"Memories are storage containers. One of the strongest aspects of human memory is the storage of emotional experiences. We remember emotions more than accurate facts.(2)

"Memories are not literal descriptions of our world. They are really reconstructions that are assembled from brain activity. Memories are not facts, although they can be influenced by facts. Our memories can even change without us being aware of it."

He then says, "There is another aspect to memory that could impact all of us—memory loss. This can occur at any age, although it tends to go hand in hand with aging. Many live with a fear of this occurring from dementia or Alzheimer’s, but it’s also currently believed to be a natural part of the aging process.

"The loss of memory is one of our most important obstacles. Without memory we’re limited. When our memory is severely impaired, we are no longer ourselves. Memory is one of our most precious abilities. Without memory, we have no background or way to move forward. Memory is a crucial part of our existence."

Memories have such an impact on our lives, don't they?

Yes, yes!

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