Revisiting to Remember: The Power of Memory in Rekindling What’s Important

Do you remember?

As we age, that becomes a critical question. Confused people stand in kitchens trying to reclaim the reason they entered. It confuses. When dementia squeezes memory from the mind, the worst question to ask is, “Don’t you remember?” They don’t and can’t. It only frustrates them.

While most can remember their address and phone number, they may not remember what is most important and what makes their life worth living.

But to remember you have to revisit.

Vickie and I made a trip back to where we raised our children. The reason for our trip was one of my church elders, a friend, had died without notice and we went for his funeral.

After staying in Galveston, we drove twenty miles to a place we had considered “home.” We made the nostalgia tour. We went by our houses (one of which we built). The house across the street reminded us of friends we recently saw.

We drove past places and asked, “I wonder if they still live there?” or “I wonder if that is still there?” We passed schools where our children started kindergarten and we remembered cherubic faces beaming as they entered on their first day of school. The stadium reminded us of manning a concession stand with band parent friends.

We ate at a diner that had risen from the dead.

Once we settled into the funeral home, I recalled the dozens of funerals I conducted for friends and strangers. We saw principals of schools, neighbors, friends, and old church members.

It was a day to remember.

I realized one bedrock truth. To remember you have to revisit.

God knew that. He instituted a time carved into worship in which we do things “in remembrance of me.” In the Lord’s Supper, we revisit the cross and its purpose. Body and blood remind us of forgiveness and the ties that bind.

When your faith grows thin, revisit to remember. Remember your baptism. The moment you stepped forward trembling to make a decision of a lifetime. What did it feel like? Where was it? Who performed it? Why did you take that step?

When you revisit, you come back to the fire that drove you. In that moment, memory blows on the dying embers of the present to bring them back to life.

When marriage grows stale, revisit to remember.

Many couples say they “lost the spark.” Time takes a toll and passion cools as kid’s noses need wiping and you have to focus on the mundane task of making sure the trash is on the curb on the right day.

Revisit to remember. What drew you to your partner? What were the dates like? Where did you go together? What was the wedding like? What obstacles have you overcome? Through memory, a story of passion is told and transformed into companionship and friendship.

We let time steal what is important until we let it fade away. Take time to close your eyes and revisit why you are who you are. You can rekindle a dying ember.