reminisce

The past year seems to be the year of nostalgia and reflection. Waves of memories crashing through; some good and some necessary. Sometimes, it becomes so much that it creates an overwhelming rush of emotions until that wave recedes again.

The nostalgia is familiar yet distant. Reuniting with old friends that we haven't spoken to in years, but so quickly will remind us of those past memories that will never fail to comfort our souls. At the same time, the feeling is distant in a way that even though things are good now, they can never be the same.

And for those times in the past that have given us a tremendous amount of hurt, the kind that feel like they will be eternally embedded beneath our skin, those memories are also presented to us every now and then. Perhaps these are the kind that will be the most valuable to us. Making us stronger from the inside, urging us to reflect on our past, our regrets, and helping us realize that those regrets will in time be the stepping stones that will lead us toward a better self.

They are sneaky though, those hurtful memories. Able to form, and grow, and feed on one phrase mistakenly spoken. Even though it has been 2 years, 3 years, 6 years ago, there will be times when it will still sting.