Old Pictures tell a Story

As I begin to answer the thought provoking questions which make up the story of my life in the journal that Monica gave me, I look at the pictures in my various photo albums. Pictures which capture moments in life forever frozen in time. They are such precious momentos of time that I feel I must also capture them for friends and family to see. It is interesting how answering these questions stirs the depth of memories long ago set aside in my mind and brings back vivid details which I thought had been abandoned, even forgotten. And though my life has definitely had its highs and lows, each step in my life's history has taught me valuable lessons and made me a stronger, better person for it all. I hope as I share these things that you who read these words will not think my life seems sad. I do not feel that way. A child does not know if the things which happen are good or bad...these things are just the way they happened. Judgement comes later as one looks back. Perhaps that is why I do not think it is productive to look back on one's past and blame one's outcome on what was done in the past. We have all known dark times as well as joys. All these things make us who we are and help us to be resilient and resourceful. It is what makes each of us evolve into the adult we become. That is why it is so important to takes life's lessons as they come and make good use of them rather than to moan in despair or blame others for our own short comings.