Memory and me.

Memory. It plays such a critical role in our lives, and in our religion, and in our family. In fact, it would be hard to imagine life at all without its memories.

Yet, like anything else, memories need moderation. We all probably know of someone (perhaps oneself, God forbid!)for whom memory played a bad role, causing that person to live in the past, and forget that the present and future still exist, still hold promise, still need to be made into a memory. That kind of memory is a tomb.

At the last supper, Jesus said, "Do this in memory of me."  But he didn't specify what kind of memory he wanted us to bring to mind each time we do this action. He didn't say, "remember me on the cross," or "think of my sermon on the Mount." He just asked that when we do this action, this supper, that we think of him in a way that brings him to our mind's eye.

Our memories should be likewise. They should make us think of the past without keeping us in the past. For each, it is a matter of sorting out, letting go, moving forward or simply moving on. Only the individual can find a way to keep memory a companion and not a task master. And then, truly, memory becomes enriching and rewarding. For it keeps us always in company with those we never want to lose.