Sometimes writing about bad memories is more effective-for the readers and yourself. |
Memories. We all have them. Whether they are good or bad, we remember certain things that have happened in our past. Most of us only like to write and remember about the happy times, or the great times in life when everything goes well. But life has moments when something goes wrong. We sometimes find difficult events more interesting to read about than cheerful ones. We don’t necessarily want to read about these topics, but grappling with our pain makes us stronger. My memory isn’t horrible, but it’s not fun to look back on. That’s exactly why I will be discussing it. I love my little sister Leah. At first I didn’t want a new person in my life. I liked being the only child. I liked being my parent’s favorite. Yet right after I got over the realization of a new sister, I started to love Leah as much as anyone in my family. I can’t think about anything hurtful happening to her. One day, as we finished dinner, my Dad asked me to take Leah out of her high chair. She was especially cute that evening; bubbly and full of joy. I walked over and unbuckled her. As I picked her up, she shot her head backwards. I didn’t have a very good grip on Leah, and I certainly wasn’t expecting such a random jolt. So she fell. Right there in the middle of our hard wooden kitchen floor. Smack. At once Leah started balling, sobbing and screaming. So did I. This was so frightening for me. Nothing had ever happened to her like this. I know it sounds strange, but I had never dealt with these feelings before. Would her head crack? Would she die? My mother scooped Leah up, and patted her on the back gently until the crying ceased. My dad comforted me until I stopped too. Nothing happened to Leah, she was happy once more. She smiled. I tried to through my tears. Then my mom and dad explained that I couldn’t just freeze up like that, I needed to react quickly and stop whatever was happening. Jabber, jabber, jabber. We all know how boring parents’ lectures can get. They keep repeating the same sentences over and over again. Of course I listened, and took these ‘wise words’ into account. Now I know when a situation such as this happens, I must react immediately. You can’t break down. You need to Focus. Maybe this memory seemed silly to you, or maybe you thought it was funny. Well I’ll tell you; it certainly wasn’t for me. This is a flashback that made me feel horrible and pained inside. Seeing my innocent little sister hurt was such a strong emotion for me to conquer. When you see a loved one suffering, or when someone you care for dies, it’s hard to take. We’re stronger when we can think about these feelings. Memories aren’t always like a book with happy endings. Sometimes they go wrong. |