Memory is the diary we all carry about with us.
~ Oscar wilde
The Work
2020 was the most challenging year of my life. Not only did I have to deal with the emotional toll of a global pandemic, I also made the excruciating decision to end my 14-year marriage. Thankfully, I happened to be working with an amazing therapist, who specializes in Grief Recovery. What began as an apparent off-the-cuff homework assignment morphed into a way of life for me. The task sounds simple:
Imagine you’re watching the clock strike midnight this New Year’s Eve. What are 50 memories you want to have from the past year?
But this assignment is anything but simple! It’s challenging to come up with 50 desired memories! I see my Memory List as a constant work in progress, as new items can always be added. The list allows me to tap into the experiences – big and small – that I want to have in my life. The result: I get to know who I am, the true me, who’s been buried beneath years of social conditioning.
The memories on the list fall into 3 realms:
- Likely: these are the most easily achieved, as they’re feasible and almost expected.
- Possible: these are the ones that could happen, and with a bit of effort, they will.
- Potential: these are unlikely, but wow, wouldn’t it be amazing if they were true?
What’s on your Memory List for this year?
Current List
Below is my list of memories that I want to have when I look back at this year on New Year’s Eve. Linked items have occurred, so you can read all about the memories I’ve made.
- Participating in Bloganuary.
- Hosting a games night with friends.
- Visiting a trampoline park.
- Taking a woodworking class.
- Taking an out-of-state trip to visit friends.
- Watching a Toronto Blue Jays Spring Training game.
- Witnessing a shuttle launch.
- Ice skating with friends.
- Watching the Maple Leafs play in person.
- Successfully completing an escape room.
- Attending a music festival or concert.
- Having reiki performed on me.
- Picking fresh strawberries.
- Kayaking in Rainbow Springs.
- Swimming with manatees.
- Going out all dressed up in my tailored suit.
- Photographing flowers at the Florida Botanical Gardens.
- Walking the canopy at Myakka State Park.
- Witnessing the Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup.
- Surviving calluses on my fingers and writing another song on the guitar.
- Canoeing on the Hillsborough River.
- Running 3 miles in 30 minutes or less.
- Visiting an animal sanctuary.
- Finally watching The Princess Bride.
- Making s’mores.
- Seeing a movie in a theater alone.
- Start learning ASL and hold a (brief) conversation.
- Getting a couples massage.
- Destroying stuff in a rage room.
- Having my mom visit me in Florida.
- Starting to write a book.
- Visiting family in Canada.
- Kayaking amongst bioluminescence.
- Going on a picnic.
- Attending a Tampa Bay Buccaneers football game.
- …
- …
You can also read the blog of all my memories, or browse previous years:
My Memory List 