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

[geoff]

Hello Croix, sorry for being late in replying.

Yes, all we really want is for people to get back to us, a lot do, which is terrific, but others hopefully continue to read along in their journey.

We both know what this entails, it has it's highs and definitely, it's lows, all we want is for it to plateau out.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

[Quercus]

Hi everyone,

There is a drive in cinema in Perth still and before Christmas we took our ferals to experience it before it is gone. They loved it! There were all sorts of people (and even a k9 or two). Rugs on ute trays with radios tuned in. Eskies and the smell of popcorn. Miss 3 and Mr 4 were so busy watching all the different "Spider People" that the choc top icecreams were almost forgotten... Almost.

This is a happy memory. Thank you for reminding me... I needed it. Today has been an exhausting and angry day.

On the positive stopping to read allowed a new memory to surface. The new house is quiet and chaos free for a moment. The doors are removed for my painting so pouring a hot bath in the dark keeps it peaceful. Through the window I notice sparkles and open it wide. On top of our hill it is private and safe.

Hot water. Cold fresh air. And best of all a country night sky full of stars! No city lights to obscure them here.

An unexpected surprise and blessing... To be able to soak under starlight.

[Croix]

Dear Natalie~

I'm glad you are here, and that you can remember good times even when things are not 100%.

Angry days pass, the causes become smaller as seen looking back from the future, even if they seemed the most important thing on the occasion. I've gotten cross over leaving a light on 😞

It can be hard to remember the person underneath (both you and the other) in the heat of the moment, but they are still there.

Enjoy your bath.

Croix

[Doolhof]

Hello Everyone,

Quercus mentioned this thread in one of her posts, so I am going to boost it up again so people can share their happy memories.

Yesterday I caught up with a couple of friends. We shared happy memories from our childhoods, we had quite a few laughs as we shared.

Having time with my friends is a recent happy memory I will hold on to.

A few weeks ago I took myself to the beach and had a wonderful day. I met a huge Wolfhound dog who was almost as tall as me and enjoyed a pat and a cuddle.

There were two adorable little girls collecting shells, I asked their Mum if I could talk to her daughters and they showed me the shells they had collected. It reminded me of my own carefree days as a child down at the beach.

While out in the garden I sometimes remember the times spent there with our chooks, one of them had such funny antics!

Hope others can join in with their own happy memories.

Cheers all from Dools

[Elizabeth CP]

Recently we visited my son to see some work he's having done on his house. We arrived to be greeted by my 5yr old grandson perched on top of a fence. Very seriously he warned us about not walking out the back door because of the large drop. The old decking has been removed leaving a 4m drop outside the door. He promised to update us each time we visited. He loves anything to do with building & goes out daily to do his round of inspection of the work. Once inside he proudly pulled up his top to show us the scars covering his body from his bike crash the day before. He quietly told me he cried at the time because it really hurt & he was a bit wobbly when he got back on his bike but he was excited to describe the crash in graphic details.

What I liked was the positive influence my son & his wife have on their children encouraging their interests, being there to comfort when things go wrong but enabling him to see that it is OK to make a mistake & crash but you can still get back up & keep going.

That is a lovely message to all of us. Things can & do go wrong but we can pick ourselves up & try again. Most important it is OK to feel upset when things go wrong.

[Quercus]

Aww Mrs D you've made my day thank you ❤. I love how this thread makes me feel.

Elizabeth what a gorgeous story you shared. And the message is one that we all need reminding of so thank you too.

Mrs D you mentioned animals in your post and it reminded me of how animals help us without even trying. Today I am nervous because my Mum is coming to visit. But our puppies are helping just by bringing the chaos unique to puppies.

First they dragged out their blankets to play tug of war. Rescue one. Then out the window I saw our scruffy Airedale with my garden gloves. Rescue number two. Rescue three was my boots. Finally I found myself laughing as they jumped up to hang off the rope fencing off the new lawn area.

Some days a laugh is a godsend.

Any members new or old feel free to join in and share a happy memory.

[quirkywords]

Hello everyone,

I have just seen this post again and have been smiling reading the lovely stories.

I find it hard to think of a happy memory though I have had many but I think I tend to dwell on sad ones.

One day a young man in his early 20s came into my shop and thanked me for letting his mum have some history books at a reduced price. He said he is now at uni and those books helped him with his thirst for knowledge. It was so unexpected for him to come and thank me after all the years.

Quirky

[Croix]

Dear all~

I guess your stories act as trigger in my mind, bringing to the front things I'd not thought of in over 60 years.

A simple act of kindness.

I used to travel on British Rail by myself as a kid (a different time), back in the days of steam (yes steam!) and the carriages had no corridors. Each compartment went from one site of the carriage to the other, with a door each side to get in or out.

As you can imagine a small boy could not resist fizzy drinks and cream buns, but that had an unfortunate but predictable consequence as time went on.

No loo on the train of course, so the stations were the only place. When stopped at one of the very few scheduled stations -there were tons more but this was an express -the Irish Mail.

I hopped out and went to the facilities, I did take a while.

When I came out I was worried the train was starting, but there was the guard, all blue with brass buttons and peaked cap, waiting for me unasked before waving his flag and blowing his whistle.

His observance and kindness live on.

Croix

[Paw Prints]

Hello All,

I just found this thread & have been really enjoying working my way through the posts. Croix's post about kindness reminded me of a little adventure I had in Preps. (many moons ago)

My class had finished one activity & were putting things away & going to sit in a half circle in front of our teachers chair in readiness for her to read us a story. Back then we had chairs that were made of metal pipes with wood seat & back panel which were held in place by metal straps welded to the pipes.

Well of course some kids took longer than others to finish up & join the kids on the floor. I and my friend were one of the early ones to sit & as kids do, we were amusing ourselves as we waited for the rest. We were pretending we were looking through play school's windows by looking through the gap between the back panel & the seat of one of the chairs. I'm not really sure now, but I think at the time I was trying to jump out of the telly (chair) at my friend. Well whatever the reason, I didn't stop at just looking through the gap, I had to stick my head through it.

Slight problem, my head went forward through the gap, but I couldn't pull it back out.

So my teacher tries wiggling my head out, nope. Other teachers come to help. Pushing, pulling, soaping my head, vasoline rubbed all over. My teacher was a lovely lady, but there was a teacher Mrs R, who was very stern & "proper" even the principal & teachers went in fear of her lectures. I'm in tears, nothing works, & Mrs R is reading the riot act about my wickedness.

Suddenly these big burly firemen appear & Mrs R start berating me about wasting their time & how they had better things to do. Well, one of them turns to her & says something & she gives me "a look" & leaves. That was the first kind thing they did. The second thing was their kindness to a scared little girl. I can still remember how gentle they were, both in their tone of voice as well as their actions. They explained each step before they started cutting the chair off, one held my head still, another held my hands, while a third did the cutting. The whole time they kept reassuring me & just talking to me, asking questions. I still remember the big bear hugs I got when it was all over, they all won my heart. I still smile whenever I see a fireman.

Paws

[Doolhof]

Hello Everyone,

It is so lovely to read these happy memories, if they be from a moment ago to many years ago. Thank you everyone for sharing.

I created a happy memory yesterday. I was out and about and stopped at a pine forest that is open for people to walk through.

I was very surprised at just how much water was about as our area is still quite dry. Water always seems to calm me. I took photos of reflections in the puddles and in the streams of water. The pines had been washed clean and were glistening.

Standing with my back tot he sun for a while was glorious. I could hear the birds singing. I felt refreshed.

Next time I will take some rubber boots so I can slosh through all the water and mud.

Cheers all from Dools