Snapshot Moments
Memories can be both good and bad, and sometimes they stick with us whether we want them to or not. In our world full of distractions and compulsions to capture every moment digitally, it is important to practice mindfulness to ensure that we don’t let the good memories slip through the cracks.
Our senses are powerful triggers for memories. The smell of your grandparent's house, a song you listened to growing up, or an old sweater found in the back of the closet can all bring back memories. While this can sometimes cause unpleasant memories to resurface, it's also an effective way to make sure we remember the moments we want to cherish. Memories are tied to everything we own, see, smell, taste, and hear- you get the point.
Kacey Musgrave’s song “Happy & Sad” reminds me of this gut feeling where you know you’re in the good times, and you don’t want it to end. It’s like viewing yourself from outside the body, knowing that this is the time you’ll look back on one day when exciting changes aren't as frequent.
This is a bittersweet feeling, and as someone with a kind of shitty memory, I've learned to intentionally remember not only what I was doing or who I was with, but also how I felt in that moment. One technique that has worked for me is the "snapshot" method. I mindfully pay attention to each of my senses in a given moment, in the hopes that one day the memory can be dug out of the filing cabinet in my mind when my brain makes the connection.
Recently, I was sitting in the trees off a ski run in Big Sky, Montana, and I knew I needed to remember the feeling. I smelled pine trees and cold air, saw a sunlit mountain ridge with tiny people skiing down, felt the cold snow under and behind me, listened to my ski playlist (Senior Skip Day by Mac Miller), and tasted my strawberry gogo squeeze. By being present in the moment and focusing on my senses, I'm not only practicing mindfulness and gratitude, but also helping my brain commit these memories to the long-term.
Taking the moment to truly be present and devote a thought to what each of my senses is experiencing has become one of my favorite ways to practice mindfulness. My collection of “snapshot” memories stores some of the best times of my life.
I’m writing this blog from the steps of Carroll Hall, looking out over the quad at everyone moving through class change and resting in the sun. It smells like fresh-cut grass and the magnolia flowers beginning to bloom. I feel the warm breeze on my face and sip on a lavender iced coffee (CCS of course). I can hear friends laughing and creating memories with each other. Another moment committed to memory.
As I make my way through my last year at Carolina, I am feeling incredibly nostalgic and happy-sad at the same time. I’ll be spending the rest of it taking snapshots and making the most of it all, because I don't want to forget a thing!
Cheers,
Katie Magnolia
