Store Your Happy Memories Here:

[Croix]

Dear All~

What this place is for:
This thread is a tool, a resource, and also I guess a dash of entertainment.

I’ve found that when life is grim that sometimes thoughts of past happiness can create a chink of light in the grey overwhelming press of down. They can help occupy the mind with lighter reflections.

With that in view I invite people to set down a brief passage describing some happy event they look back to with fondness and peace.

They - and others too - can then return to it when they feel the need to glean a little warmth.

It is not a place for gloomy or dire tales, those can go elsewhere.

What to do:
Just set out, as simply as you like, your recollection of some past experience that means something good to you, something you enjoyed, something from safe times.

It can be, like my story below, anything – from an account of visiting grandparents to simply cooking and eating a melted-cheese sandwich in a favorite kitchen – you get to choose.

How to do it:
Write. Write enough so someone else can feel the mood, know what happened, find the goodness. (stop at 2,500 characters please!)

Grammar, syntax, spelling, punctuation are not compulsory, just write as you can – the only important thing is the content - not literary merit. Short or long - it does not matter.


I hope you enjoy, contribute and find a little distraction here when you need it.

Croix

[Guest_128]

Just beautiful,it is a lucky gift you have with hubby,one that not many experience.

Stay warm

Later

[MC2]

The first date with my first fiance, I had managed to get her away, picked up some truffles and made our way to a park overlooking the city.

“Wow “I heard an awed whisper, as we walked past it some unassuming squat stone tower.

I put on my most professor of history voice “Yes, so the tower is called the windmill and is one of the oldest standing structures left in Brisbane. It was built by convicts as a windmill to grind the grain for early Brisbane town. The stifled giggles. Alas, as with most government projects, it was poorly planned and didn’t work. Later
it was modified for metrological studies.” We walked on to some rather low unassuming wooden buildings.

“These are Brisbane’s first reservoirs and were used to supply this city with clean drinking water from natural springs. That is why this area is called spring hill. All of these buildings are protected by law and no one is allowed to touch them.” I started to explain, my voice a little shaky as I started to lose my nerve a little. I tried to sound as un-cheesy as possible. I turned to Alex, by this stage we were overlooking the city, and Alex had completely relaxed and was tracing the edge of the building by her hand as she listened.

I took her hand and she slowly pulled off her sunglasses. I looked into her shocking beautiful eyes and all my fear fell away “Like these buildings you are protected, the question is will you let me be the one protecting you”.

There was a moment, tears welled up in her eyes, and then she burst out laughing, as we both collapsed on the
grass. “jeez that was the cheesiest thing I have ever heard” she snorted with laughter. After a while, we ended up lying there looking over the city embraced watching the city. Not really talking but just watching the world go by while eating chocolate.

“All laughter and cheesy lines aside Alex, I am here for you if you want me” I whispered. Alex snuggled in and rested her head on my chest. I felt a small wet trail of tears run down my stomach.

“I would like that very much. We just need to work out how” she sleepily yawned back to me with a sniff.

We talked and kissed as we watched the sunset over the city. Finally, and reluctantly we made our way back through the darkened streets to the university. I left her at the start of the pedestrian bridge with one last long kiss. I stood there and watched her walk away across the bridge.

It was at that point I decided, I was doing to marry that woman.

MC2

[Doolhof]

Working in Child Care I met many lovely children and have many happy memories of those days.

One special memory was of a child from overseas newly arrived in Australia who did not speak English and I speak no other language.

The boy came up to me with a toy truck. For about 15 minutes we "talked" to each other and played with that truck. We laughed and smiled and had a wonderful conversation, having no idea what the other person was saying. Then he went off to play with the other children.

That was a very happy moment for me.

Cheers all from Mrs. D.

[MezMerrit]

What a wonderful read!

Every single post reminded me of something that made me happy. It's been so so long since happy memories flooded my mind, so thank you - everybody - for making my day 🙂

If I had choose a single one to share, it would be from childhood - before innocence has left and reality has kicked in.

So, my parents were divorced (when I was in nappies), my father a die-hard athiest and my mother a devout Jehovah's Witness. I grew up with Mum and her beliefs ruled out Christmas and Birthday celebrations, so my happiest memory from childhood was my first Christmas. I'm fairly sure my father did this specifically to spite my mother but I wasn't aware of such things as I was only 10 years old.

I remember meeting him for the first time and to me he LOOKED like father Christmas.. with dark hair/beard and a tan ha! We drove for hours and hours to his place (everything feels like hours when you're an excited little kid) and with every minute that passed I grew more and more excited. I swear I burst out of that car and ran around in silly circles just like the Tassy Devil cartoon character!

The build up to Christmas day was more than I could bear. I literally ran riot and drove all the adults nuts! I gobbled up so much stone fruit I thought I would burst (still my fav thing about xmas) and I drank so much egg-nog I threw up. And sleep?? No such luck! I wasn't the least bit surprised to sneak out of my room to find out Dad really was father Christmas ha!

I must have fallen asleep at some stage because my next memory is waking up to a giant santa sack beside the bed. Oh my gosh... I didn't know where to start - there was everything in that sack from toys to lollies and chocolates. My little eyes popped out of my head, I'd never seen so many goodies in one place before! I stuffed my face and rolled around in that sack all day!

My favourite toy would be my favourite for all my living days: a Barbie Doll and House. How I loved that doll! I remember seeing the film clip to Black Hole Sun years later and suddenly realising: THAT's what happened to my Barbie haha! My little bro burnt her on the BBQ 😄

Christmas has never been the same since and no other childhood memory paralleled the first.

🙂

[MC2]

MezMerrit, that is a great memory.

MC2

[Quercus]

Hi all,

Just sharing a happy memory from today...

Anticipation. A mental checklist of jobs completed. All the grass trees burnt season previous. Check. Area around the house pad cleared. Check. Fire breaks ready. Local brigade notified. Check and check. Excitement builds.

Grubby kids and their equally dirty Mum sitting on a sandbank. An audience of three. Cue the applause. The match drops. A secret surprise. A line of fire races along the ground. He turns and winks. A tiny bit of petrol to get things started. Silly but thrilling.

Sun setting behind an orange line of flame. Sky a mix of reds and pinks and oranges. Highlighting the line of flickering flames and the silhouettes of the dark trees between. So beautiful.

The children are silent. Not a sound but the crackle of leaves. He waits for his applause with a half smile at the awe on small faces.

One lone grass tree goes up. Ah I missed one last year! Little voices cheer. Dad Dad! Look at the sparkles! Embers and pops and sparks. Finally he roars with a smile as bright as the fire behind him. So beautiful.

Smouldering ashes. Night has fallen. Kids snug in the car smelling of sausage sizzle and smeared in tomato sauce. I'd better get them to the bath. A quiet moment standing together in the dark. Watching the embers glow. I'll keep watch tonight hon. A slow kiss and a message without words. This will be our home one day. You and I. When the kids are grown we will grow old here. Together.

[MezMerrit]

Thanks MC2, I just wish I could write like some of you, I'm all thumbs in that department.

I want to add a happy memory for my Uncle, who is no longer with us to post it himself. Thank you 9 names later for triggering it...

I moved in with Uncle to care for him while he battled cancer. Sadly, his battle was much like his entire life - a very lonely road - and he was very unhappy for most of it. So naturally, I wanted to make him smile, I just wasn't sure how.

I helped him build a website, it was a kind of shrine for his children to visit after he passed (who had all but abandoned him in life) and although he loved it and it kept him busy, it didn't really make him smile much. One of the pages was a list of links relating to his hobbies and interests and one of those links was to Troy Dan's Outback Adventures (which gives you an idea how long ago this was ha).

On Troy's webpage I found a link to his fan club, so I started mailing the club. Every day for a few weeks I would post the same message hoping, if it appeared often enough, it might stand out in the crowd. I told Troy about Uncle's illness and his obsession with the TV show and begged him to send a personalised message to post on the website.

Unbeknownst to me, Uncle was also hammering Troy's fan mail with the exact same idea in mind. I later estimated we must have sent some 50 messages or more between us. Sure enough, Troy Dan's marketing manager noticed our messages and got in touch with me. He invited us to meet with him to discuss what more Troy could do to put a smile on Uncle's dial.

In the end, Troy not only met with him and became a good mate - he also gave Uncle a car plastered with Troy Dan's Outback Adventures and appointed him Nth QLD distributor of Troy Dan merchandise.

And I am absolutely 100% certain Uncle is on the other side STILL smiling 🙂 🙂

[CMF]

I remember growing up as a kid in the 70's footy was only played on Saturdays. All day Saturday my dad would watch footy on tv and listen on the radio. Each team had their own home ground. On Sunday World of Sport would be on to recap the matches and have a bit of fun. Sundays my mum would always make pasta for lunch with our own home made pats sauce (a day long process to make in bulk).

i remember we would go to the local hot bread shop for fresh bread. The girl who worked there ended up being a supervisor in my workplace when I Was an adult. We would buy fresh bread to have with our pasta made with fresh home made pasta sauce. We would watch World of Sport with their wood chopping comp and the hand ball Comp where the winner received a small goody bag. Right before lunch my dad would walk down to the TAB to have a bet on the horses, sometimes he would buy the bread.

i can picture the white laminex table with the blue chairs, which was later upgraded to brown laminex. I can smell the pasta sauce, and taste the spaghetti with fresh sauce and meatballs. I'd cover mine with paremesan cheese. I can still smell and taste it, I can hear the TV going oh and the radio was always going too with the horse races. When we finished eating we'd soak up the remaining pasta sauce with the bread. Yum, Yum.

[Doolhof]

Such lovely stories and memories one and all.

Thanks so much for sharing them!

[Jackson1994]

Today is my brother Tyler's birthday so sharing some happy memories

- When Ty "fell" off the pier while fishing

- When my extremley old and frail great grandfather asked us boys to help him put up Christmas decorations at his house, and he made me stand on a chair on top of the kitchen table, which had a slippery table cloth, my brother was in an absolute fit of laughter while my great grandad tried to reassure me that it was stable even though it was slipping from beneath me. He paid us like $2 in silver coins each for helping.

- when the trampoline our backyard was the place we went when we were in trouble because knew mum wouldn't get on it to catch us