Sorting Memories
As we prepare for our upcoming move, our days have been filled with sorting through household items, deciding what to trash, donate, and keep. The process began as we packed up Christmas decorations and has since taken us room by room, uncovering forgotten treasures and memories along the way.
While digging through tubs in the basement, I stumbled upon one of the first stories I ever wrote. Judging by the spelling and penmanship, I must have been in first grade. The story, titled The Honeypot, was about a bear fiercely guarding his honey. (I was deep in a Winnie the Pooh phase back then, so it’s not hard to guess where the inspiration came from!)
Fast-forward a few years and several tubs of memories, and I uncovered another story—this one from college. It was inspired by the narratives we create about the people we meet. This particular short story was about my philosophy teacher, and I imagined a scenario where his first true love reentered his life decades after they had parted ways. Clearly, the lecture on Socrates that day left me yearning for more than just ancient philosophy!
Neither of these stories were masterpieces, but they did make me reflect on two things as I sat cross-legged on the basement floor. First, I’m amazed I still have these pieces of notebook paper in my possession. Second, it’s clear that I’ve always had a passion for creative writing.
Life has a funny way of weaving your passions into the fabric of your journey, even if you don’t realize it at first. I never imagined that one day I’d have books available for others to read and purchase. But looking back, that spark of a dream was always there, even if it was buried under years of school assignments, notebooks, and storage tubs.
This discovery felt like a little nudge from my younger self to keep pursuing what I love. No, I’m not a New York Times Best Seller… yet. But that goal will never be within reach if I don’t keep putting pen to paper.
So, here’s a gentle reminder: take a moment this weekend to listen to your inner child. What were you passionate about before life got in the way? What sparks joy for you? Reconnect with that part of yourself and see where it leads. You might just unlock a world of possibilities.
To my child self: thank you for never letting go of that creativity, even if it took decades and a few storage tubs for me to fully appreciate it. And to you, dear reader: follow that spark, no matter how small or deeply buried it might be. You never know where it might take you.
