Memories Made Tangible

I received a newsletter recently from one of my favorite life coaches, Jennifer Louden .  She talked about her friends who just lost their home to fire in Santa Barbara and that the first thing her friend thought of after she heard her house was burned to the ground, was gratitude.  She was so grateful that her family was safe and that her friends were offering her support and assistance.  What a great way to deal with a hardship.  Instead of dwelling on the loss, she focused on what she did have and how lucky she was to have it. 

Jennifer writes, “If you’ve ever lost things to a disaster or accident, you know it’s not about the stuff, it’s about memories made tangible: the plaster handprint your child made in kindergarten, the picture of your father right before he died smiling at the camera with an impish grin of gratitude, it’s the dusty teapot from your honeymoon in Ireland.”

My response to Jennifer follows:

Jennifer,   I loved your newsletter as it touched a cord in my emotions.  It is so true that “it’s about memories made tangible”.   After my parents died and I watched the house I was raised in  be torn down, I felt the loss like the loss of a loved one.  As brick and wood came down, I thought of the family picnics in the back yard on long summer nights, the measuring place on the back door edging where grandkids could hardly wait to pass up their short grandma.  I remembered bringing both my babies to visit their grandparents and play in the yard I played in.  They flew kites in the field next door with their grandpa. I remembered the fireplace my father kept fueled in winter and the one special stormy day I came home from school to find him home with Mom ready to enjoy tea and cookies with my sister and me.  I could go on and on. . .    Anyway, after the devastation, I hope your friends can begin to start reminiscing and reminding each other of those special things and memories and then write them down before they start to forget the details.  They sound like very special people indeed.  Loved the visual of grabbing the duck broth!   Thank you for sharing and reminding us of what’s really important and about the challenges and creativity involved in transitions.  Please send my best wishes to your friends. Gail Brokaw http://www.embracethepossibility.org You can check out Jennifer’s blog at http://www.comfortqueen.com/  She is a wonderfully talented writer.