Awesome #5 - The Power of Photos

Unlocking Memories through Photos

One of the reasons I just love taking photos is because it captures the essence of the moment from whatever event, function or experience in our journeys in life. It may not be a complete picture and it can certainly never capture the detailed intricacies that are so vividly encapsulated by our senses through those exact varying circumstances and environment. However, what photos do for me is they conjure and reignite memories, allowing our powerful brains to be transported back into time, unlocking the remarkable process of reliving, if even for a mere moment, those experiences....those times of the past...

I'll never forget my 1st trip out of Toronto was to Vancouver during one March Break in high school. I made a tape yes, cassette tape and each time I hear particular songs such as, Try by Blue Rodeo and Brown Eyed Girl By Van Morrison, I remember fondly those memories celebrated in B.C.!! Just like hearing a song can evoke or unleash a million thoughts, feelings and memories (both pleasant & unpleasant) so too can the power of photos!

On many occasions, we're too busy to afford the time to sift through those old photo albums that are dusting away with inches of dust as they lay lined up on the shelf untouched. Alternatively, they sit dormant on our SD memory cards & only really turn to them when we feel the need to start deleting some older photos to make room for to take newer ones. Today, I looked over many old album collections from various trips I've taken over the years. And for those moments, I was so grateful for the time to remember & to rejoice in times gone by...photos are priceless!

Awesome!

Awesome #4

Somethings Just Never Change!
This evening, we had dinner with the Hui family, old family friends of ours ever since we were babies. The oldest son, Norman and his family were visiting from Hong Kong where he lives. So this evening, we reminisced a lot about the past and when we were kids growing up. One story that I was totally unaware of (because I just don't seem to have any childhood memories!), Angela mentioned when I was younger, I was leaving their house, and as I was waving goodbye, I backed up, being unaware of my surroundings and fell into the plant!! I had to laugh at that because many, many years later, I can still confirm that I'm a pretty good klutz! Every week, I'll find at least one bruise somewhere on my body and that's because I banged into something! Somethings never change...and that's funny in of itself!
Awesome!

Awesome #3 - Memory Lane

Going Down Memory Lane
The last few days have been spent cleaning out my boxes of old cards, letters, notes, and knick knacks. Since the school year was too hectic to deal with my boxes of build up and collections, I had to finally face the music since there was no excuse now that I'm on summer holidays! As I was sifting through my things, I read through old cards and letters, as well as photos. The whole time, I couldn't help but have this great big smile on my face as I remembered old friends who have come and gone through the different seasons of my life and their lives. In fact, as I was reading, at some points, I was even in danger of getting a little emotional! Every season brought different joys and varying degrees of struggle in our journeys and experiences. It was like I was brought back in a time machine and looking back to my time at camp, university, teacher's college, etc...so many fond memories and so many rich experiences! I couldn't help but miss them greatly and wondered with curiosity what they were up to in life in the present time and how they were doing???

It is very rare to hang-on to true friendships for a "life-time"...and sometimes, I almost feel if it were selfish to secretly want that in life. In reality, the people that have come and gone in my life have represented a mosaic of goodness and blessing! I have been given so much and I count friendship a true treasure and gift in life. No matter what stage I was in my life, God always blessed me with caring, generous, kind and loving people who came into my life and became a part of who I was! Despite many of them having come and gone, the exercise of walking down memory lane gave me those moments to cherish again and to relive such fondness and lovingness! Awesome!