Reminiscence. Such a beautiful world. The word ‘reminiscence’ resonates with the feeling of remembrance. It is a memory etched deep into our souls. It is a reflection of thoughts of previous memoirs. It is a recollection of anecdotes and folklore. It seems like an all-encompassing word. It has a sweetness that lingers long after the moment has passed. It takes you back in time. Times when you were happy. Times when you were sad. Time when you were you.

What do we actually remember? What is so important to us that we can never forget. Is it the milestone moments or the tiny nothings of everyday life? Is it about the people or the experiences? Remembrance takes us on a journey of nostalgia, of every moment that makes us shapes us into who we are today. It doesn’t matter if it was good or bad because c'est la vie.

Remembering also comes with flashbacks and longingness for people and times that once were. I read somewhere it is not people we miss but who we are around those people. In simpler terms, we just miss ourselves. The locus of control anywhere in life is internal. We are already facing what we are looking for, our own selves. We are all Santiago under the sycamore tree, travelling far and beyond to find that the treasure was right in front of us. The miracle is always within us. The sooner we realize this, the freer we become.

And what has been our most significant takeaway from the pandemic years? It is realising that time is fleeting, and life is unpredictable. We might yearn for our loved ones and feel saddened by the fact that things will never go back to the way they were before. We have to move forward and it helps to know that the very act of missing someone or something is testimony to the good times you have lived, experienced. It is a privilege to have been a part of something so loving that you cherish it even today.

Some might say do not remember the past. Let bygones be bygones. What’s done cannot be undone. Despite all that is, the only truth is that your past is what has made you. Embrace it. Accept it. It might not have been all unicorns and rainbows but it is a part of you. You have lived it, outgrown it, learned from it.

So, when the cool wind hits your face again and you are back from your sweet little sojourn of reminiscence, love yourself more. Be proud of how far you’ve come and be hopeful of how far you still can go. As the popular saying goes, ‘You only live once, for a very short time. So, make very second worth your while’.

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