My birthday is in July, and my daughter gave me a present called “My Life in a Book”. Each Monday a question about my life comes in my email box. I must answer this question and send the reply. At the end of the year there will be a printed book with all my reminisces and photos, giving an insight to my view of my life. It begins with my childhood and moves on to more current times, but I am only just starting. It is lovely to look back and talk about these things. With the school holidays starting I was thinking about how I spent them. I went out with my friends often for the whole day either playing in the streets or nearby woods, or riding my bike. Sometimes we would take a sandwich with us, which would be jam, lettuce or tomato. These days I don’t think parents would let their children play away from home all day without worrying, nor would they allow them to have a sandwich that seems so meagre, but it was the normal then. We had more freedom and less restrictions but there was no doubt we were very loved. All these memories I have are great, but I question the idea that life was perfect back in those times compared to now. There are many improvements to life, including safety features like mobile phones that can track children who are out playing all day, more nourishing sandwiches, now that the war-time shortages are removed. Memories are good if they don’t cloud our view of then or now. We need to focus on the journey forward rather than be looking backwards all the time. In the Old Testament Isaiah says, “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old.” God encourages people to let go of the past and embrace new works and blessings. He promises to make a way where there seems to be no way. This book I am making will be my memory box where all my memories are safely stored but don’t need to be relived constantly.
This month’s book choice is The Answer Is No. This is a short Story by Fredrik Backman. It’s an amusing story about a man that only wants to be left alone
God Bless
Maureen Kendall