Books

You have the power over your own memories.

They are your possessions.

Just like that dusty yet treasured book that has a specific place on the shelf, we hold some memories with the highest of value.

The others? We often stuff them into old cardboard boxes; shoving them into an attic, telling ourselves that one day we’ll make the trek to the thrift store to be rid of them once and for all.

But every book has its value for those willing to read behind the lines. It’s up to the reader to find the author’s intent. The deepest of themes are not always readily apparent. The reader has to view the book not as a simple thing of paper and cardboard, but as a living, breathing force of wisdom and meaning.

You have the power to do that with your story.

The memories you hold as negative have something of value as well. They offer lessons to be learned. They’re often mixed with positive memories. A glorious, poignant melding of love, pain, joy, loss, and sacrifice. When we write off these more intricate memories as being wholly negative, we throw out the beauty with the ugliness. We miss the point of our own stories.