Today I found broken pieces of memories. Although they weren’t my memories, it hurt to see them broken, just the same. My mother collected shot glasses for years, like the years of her life that were collected, one by one. They were precious to her. Whenever she went somewhere special, she would grab a memory off the shelf and add it to her batch or memories on the wall. Many days would pass, even months as they sat in that place, unnoticed and overlooked. But when a glace would bring attention to these memories, she would let them flood her mind; Dallas, Atlanta, Arizona, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite... Those memories, her memories, were left in my care. And today, those memories were shattered.

I dug through the clutter in my garage, clearing out trash and making sense of the rest. I grabbed a box and as I saw my mother’s memories in a pile, shattered like the years of her life, my heart shattered too. I froze and wondered, “Had they all broken? Had her memories been lost forever?” Then I took a breath and in a moment I saw. A few scattered memories were saved in the impact...

The Meteor Crater – Yes, I remember our trip; laughing, walking, sharing life. Knott’s Berry Farm – Right, that was when I was 8 months pregnant; loving, admiring, asking everything. New Orleans – Of course, I remember her sharing pictures; friends, growing, learning new things.

Memories lost and memories saved. Love lost and love forever embedded in my heart. What a beautiful opportunity to remember. What an amazing moment to realize how important it is to cherish our memories, and those of the people we love. Likewise, I realize how rare and precious those memories are. Especially the ones that never shatter; the ones that never leave us; the ones we call pieces of our heart.

(photo by Afton at www.flickr.com)