Memories

If you come to think of it, our memory or more precisely, other people's memory of us is really in many ways like our soul. It is all that survives after the body has gone, and just like the Bhagwad Gita says about the Soul- fire cannot burn it, water cannot wet it and wind can not dry it. It never dies and never really takes birth. It is the surviving consciousness, the only proof of us having been there.

Memories of older people help to tie new generations together. In many ways these memories  are critical to the fabric of a society. They establish bonds and remind people how and why they are connected. They are what continue traditions, relationships and our ways. The biggest contribution an older person can make to a family or the community at large is to leave behind what I would like to call "active memories"- some references which people can count on to guide them into the future and take the past with them.

So as we live our lives and prepare for whatever may lie in the nether world, let us make a conscious effort to create memories which will help those who are connected to us. Let us leave behind tales, traditions and ties that will stay long after we are gone. Let us make sure that what survives us is worth remembering.