Emotional Keepsakes

There are some things you can never let go of. No matter how much time has passed or what has happened since, there are certain things that will always stick in your mind. These things are all wrapped up into those crafty little devils we call feelings, almost like souvenirs.

The most obvious example of this is grief. The pain that comes with loss is the hardest to let go of in my experience, quite understandably so. Time helps, of course, but the scars still show, as if ready to be ripped open at any moment.

Guilt is another biggie. People can, and do, carry that around with them for lifetimes after it first comes about. Pair this with the remorse and slap the regret on top and it’s a triple whammy of torment.

Anger is a dangerous one, not least because of its different forms and the different ways of expressing it. There’s the quiet anger, the on-the-spot explosive anger, the build-it-up-until-the-pressure-is-too-much-and-you-burst anger.

Quiet anger seems to be the one I’m programmed with. I’m particularly thinking of the anger that comes to me because of something that has hurt me. I’ll just keep remembering it but never be able to breach the subject properly, seeing as confrontation scares me. The problem with that, of course, is that it eats away at you, which is never ideal.

My favourite of all the emotional keepsakes one could possibly have is love.

Yes, it can lead to the feelings of all of the above, and granted, it may come with problems of its own, but through it all, I see love as a sign of hope. The hope of comfort, of warmth, of shared memories and shared happiness.

So, I think experiencing the kind of love that follows you throughout your life - whether it be from family, friendship, a relationship (or even your pet!) - is like having constant promise of.. good, I suppose.

And really, that’s rather a nice thing to have, and worth any struggles or heartache that might come along now and again.

Well, that’s what I think, anyway.