Muscle Memories

It engulfed my face while walking down the street, its aroma overpowering the musty smell of the rain. A fusion of tobacco leaves, sandalwood, and other unknown spices; the sweet and earthy smoke at first caused great annoyance.  But as I continued my journey down the sidewalk, the smell became familiar…the smell of my grandfather’s pipe. A unique smell given to older men, as I’ve never seen or known the young to indulge in smoking pipes that contain legal substances.  This…caught me by surprise.
 
What a sweet surprise to have memories of my Grandfather strike me. I love my grandpa. I think about him all of the time because he was very much my friend (as grandparents were concerned).  And I began to remember something distinct about him, that in some ways, I either left out of the memory banks or didn’t realize was there.  Memories are strange in that way. Something occurring in your present life causes a reaction (good or bad) to a past occurrence in your life.
 
What occurred was a sense that he was always with me. Not just him, all people, places, situations and things experienced in my life that created and molded me into the person I am today – executing the things I do today. My love for adventure and travel and laughter…all stem from a place within that holds captive the adapt history of my life. And daily I add to that history. I’ll even have memories of memories as my mind ruminates and restores them for me to see.
 
What a powerful muscle the mind is! It can fuel your ambitions or stifle your progress. It can move you to anger or have you cringe in fear. All from sensory stimulation attached to the history of your life. And right now, between my intestinal issues, achy knees, tight calves, and messy hair, I will forever remember these days of training by the sweet joys of eating pizza twice a week and unlimited cookies, every time I step foot on the pavement or see a runner passing by. All to remind me that, with time, dedication, and lots of encouragement, I really can do anything I set my mind to!!
 
“Keep all special thoughts and memories for lifetimes to come. Share these keepsakes with others to inspire hope and build from the past, which can bridge to the future.” ~Mattie Stepanek