Wednesday, April 14, 2010

108 Meaningful Memories

This week, we're discussing an idea to record the meaningful moments of your life. This idea started with a blog on Monday about the 10 lists you should write before you die. Yesterday, we expanded on the idea for a total of 15 lists. So we have them all in one place, here are our 15 lists:
  • 10 people who helped me most in my life
  • 10 most memorable places I've visited
  • 3 best things I've ever made
  • 5 best days of my life
  • 10 best friends I've ever had
  • 5 best journeys I've ever made
  • 10 things that gave me the most pleasure
  • 5 best books/movies/TV series
  • 5 best gifts anyone ever gave me
  • 10 things I wish I had done but didn't
  • 10 favorite songs
  • 10 best gifts you've ever given
  • 5 places you most love to be in the world
  • 5 things you did and wish you hadn't
  • 5 things you'd like people to remember about you
If you add the number of items on each of the 10 lists together we end up with 108. The idea with this life practice is to record the 108 most meaningful moments.


What is the purpose of recording 108 memories? Part legacy, part self-reflection. I would love to have these 15 lists from my grandparents long gone. In our fast-paced world, it would be nice to reflect on the lives of our ancestors. These lists could be incorporated into a holiday ritual as a remembrance of those who came before us. Or, we could share the lists to remember our loved ones on special dates like birthdays and anniversaries.


The self-reflection component gives each of us an opportunity to consider, and remember to enjoy, the sweet moments of life while we are living them. Who will have, or make, the time to look back on life when nearing the end? I've shared the idea to create the 10 original lists with two elderly people in my life. Gram is my Dad's Mother who is still alive and rather sharp-witted at 85 years old. I also sent the list to "Grandpa" who is the patriarch of some dear family friends. Grandpa at 87 years old recently lost his wife of 62 years and is feeling, understandably, a bit lost.

Come back tomorrow for sweet stories about Gram and Grandpa.

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