Building good heart memories

Trauma seems to be so prevalent in our culture and throughout various civilizations in history. Whether it is national (wars), cultural, generational, familial, or between individuals, it is being recognized more for all the hurt it can cause collectively but also individually within our nervous systems. For some, it can be much easier to ruminate on the negative memories, than to recall the positive ones.

What may help, is to be proactive, in building good memories as our children’s minds and spirits develop. Mark these good moments as stakes in the ground to help our families preserve and remember all the good things that have happened in their growing years too. Retell the stories together and reminisce. Do some hard belly-laughing together! Perusing an old photo album can help stir up some good heart memories. Ultimately, I believe the good has a protective factor in outweighing some of the bad. And summer can be a great time to intentionally create fun memories that can help forge stronger attachments to our loved ones.