Christmas is a time for family, to be thankful, and to appreciate the life we have lived. We must adopt a positive attitude, a prayerful demeanor, and open hearts to accomplish this. We should look to the future with excitement and, at the same time, reflect on our histories and good fortune.
In Psalm 143:5, King David tells us he remembers the old days and wonders about the things he has done, how much belonged to him, and how much was the work of God. As people age, they start thinking of things that were and things they wish were not. In Ecclesiastes 12, Solomon warns that as we age and the light of the sun and moon darken, we grow weak and begin grinding our teeth and forget. But in the same verse, Solomon challenges a man to remember God with a perspective that embraces a full life and having good judgment. In Numbers 15, Moses tells his people that they (and we) should remember all the commandments and do them and not follow our hearts and eyes. Moses goes on to say that we should remember. Then, in Deuteronomy 32, Moses tells us to remember or reminisce about the old days. Moses wants the people to think about what they had personally endured and what their parents and grandparents had witnessed. God tells us through Moses that we should learn from and appreciate our history. Recollections offer us potential solutions to current difficulties and help guide and direct us to solutions. Our memories should help us make good decisions based on past performance. Our personal memories are vital for how we interact with each other. Being able to reminiscence memories provides sound guidance when making new friends, developing relationships, and sustaining the ones we currently enjoy.
People enjoy reminiscing and thinking about their happy times and their achievements. The reality of past events can be altered to fit the situation. The double I hit in high school has grown into a home run. But my friends don’t mind because their memories have also improved upon the true story of the past. We expand on the story, and it becomes our new truth over time. Reminiscing allows one to connect to a specific time in life and relive a significant event. These events may not have been essential at the time, but now our memories show us the true meaning of the events. As a child, you may not have been mature enough to know the importance of your aunt’s visit. Still, fifty years later, you realize she actually changed the course of your life by some insufficient action. Reminiscing allows us to visit with loved ones and friends who are no longer with us and enjoy their company in our minds. Reminiscing will enable us to examine the “What Ifs’ and “Could of, Should of” events. We must remember that everything depends on a person’s perspective at the time of the event. Loves found and loves lost with fortunes earned and lost all depend on our perspective and memory.
Reminiscing enables the person to add meaning to the event and to enjoy achievements that they may not have enjoyed during the event. The word remember is found 240 times in the Old and New Testaments. Reminiscing and recalling past events are essential enough, and evolution has built the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus into our brains for storing memories and easy recall. It is common for individuals with memory loss or suffering from dementia to be able to recall events from many years ago. Research has shown that reminiscing is beneficial for everyone. Reminiscing reduces stress, redirects thoughts, and reduces anxiety and agitation. In a systematic review of forty-seven nursing homes, Franck, Molyneaux, & Parkinson (Franck, Molyneaux, & Parkinson 2016) found that reminiscing was very helpful. Several other studies confirm that reminiscing benefits all age groups, social backgrounds, and needs.
Being able to remember and reminisce is an action created by the power of Jesus in that he wants us to remember what He has done. By engaging Jesus, we should be able to focus our lives on things we can accomplish and not be afraid of failure.
Recollection is an essential part of life and a ritual that bonds us, regardless of who we are, our beliefs, our religion, our social status, or where we are from. On a personal level, we remember the lost lives of family and friends through funeral services and memorials. We recognize the birth of a child, a wedding, and graduation. Memory and the ability to reminisce is a unique gift.
In his book, The Mood of Christmas & Other Celebrations, Howard Thurman defines memory as “one of God’s great gifts to the human spirit without which neither life nor experience could have any meaning.” With this in mind, we should try to remember and share experiences anytime the opportunity presents itself. We should share our history, ask older relatives about their past, and tell our children about us. Once the ability to reminisce is gone or the person has died, there is no history to share. No amount of money can bring back the knowledge and joy of knowing the past. Recalling events from the past and being allowed to ruminate about these events is a coping device that gives us a sense of continuity and control over how we are moving through time. It will let us know who we are and want to be and maybe determine what we are now. Unfortunately, we are all doomed to get old but, at the same time, extremely fortunate for the opportunity to age. Our brains start to slow down in our 20s or 30s, and the decline becomes noticeable in our 60s, 70s, and older. Some folks decline earlier, and some never see or admit a reduction. Lucky for us old folks, the hippocampus part of the brain continues to produce new neurons into old age. Old age is an undefined term. Many of us can recall a conversation or event from ten years ago but not remember what we had for dinner last night. It can be argued that God knew we would all slow down and get past doing a lot of things as we age and gave us the ability to stay active in our minds even if our short-term memory and bodies have slowed to a near stop. As long as our brains function in the hippocampus, we can replay that ballgame where we hit the home run. God allows us to rediscover the things we cherish, enjoy past events, and find happiness. It is never too late to be happy, share joy, and serve others. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has a plan for us. God declares a plan for our welfare and gives hope for our future. In other words, we must continue smiling, reminiscing, and never stop being happy.