The most treasured heirlooms are the memories of family.
Sometimes it takes one small thing to bring
back a thousand memories. Yesterday it was the smell of blooming sage.
As I was hiking the foothills I plucked a sprig and brought it to my
nose and suddenly, almost magically, my most happy childhood memories
were there at the forefront of my mind.
The months we spent as a family
up at our cabin in the Sawtooths were our happiest moments. I can feel
the rocks beneath my shoes, the scratch of the sagebrush against my
shins, feel my moms hand in mine, smell my dads aftershave from
somewhere ahead of me, hear my sisters walking and laughing beside me.
The best part of reliving these memories is knowing that I’m not
forgetting. Because forgetting them is the one thing I’m most afraid of. I know I have said that before, and I know I will say it again.
Knowing that the next time I walk among blooming sagebrush, I walk with
them... well that’s the least lonely I have felt in a very long time. They may be gone, but definitely not forgotten.
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