Time Portals
Harness the Power of Things
Introduction
My husband and I love to watch science fiction, especially when it involves time travel. There’s something deeply intriguing about the idea of moving backward or forward in time. As I wrote in a previous edition No Time Travel, we only have the current moment, however, there is the power to remember the past, sometimes so deeply it “feels” like we are “back there” again. Things that remind us of the past are, in essence, time portals. Their power can be harnessed by us, or their power can harness and harass us. The power of things as time portals is the focus of this edition of Adventure in Reflection. Thank you for exploring with me!
A Minute of Motivation
Let Go of Dead Things
Have you made mistakes in the past? Have you done things you are ashamed to admit? Have you said hurtful things to others? Have others wounded you with their words or actions? Are there dark chapters in your past you’d prefer to turn the page or close the book on, but find that memories of the past still haunt you?
If you’re like most people you are dragging with you some baggage from your past mistakes and injuries. This baggage is weighing you down, resulting in unnecessary sadness, anger, or fear. Perhaps it’s time to let go.
Dragging the past around with you in your current life is like dragging around a dead thing. The dead thing is not helped by you dragging it around – it’s dead and nothing you do now will change that. Dragging the dead thing makes you feel tired and burdened. Besides, dead things stink, and so will your life if you are dragging the past with you.
It’s time to let go of those dead things and leave the hurt of the past in the past. Cry for the past or scream in rage about it if you feel a need to. Then walk into the future without the burden of the past pain. Your load will be lighter and your arms will be freed to welcome the blessings awaiting you today.
Note. I wrote this in 1993 and printed it on dot-matrix paper. I included it for this reflection on time portals because of the power of things in our surroundings that serve as triggers for past pain. If, as you move through your day, notice items in your home or office that remind you of painful chapters from your past, consider removing them from your view. It is easier to let go when there are no physical reminders to tether you to the past.
Enjoy Life More
The Power of Things
Our brains contain extensive storage of our past experiences. These “files” contain images, sounds, experiences, and feelings. Some of these “files” are a joy to remember, others are not.
Similar to the file names for items stored on “clouds” or computers, a physical thing can be an “access code” for memories. My favorite type of souvenir is a refrigerator magnet; I use these magnets to remind me of important times with people and places I treasure. It is a joy to look at the magnets because of the wonderful “memory files” they trigger.
Sometimes a difficult season motivates a time for “a change of scenery.” The brain, full of fresh wounds, needs to be somewhere away from the things that cue the injuries. The “files” are still there, but not accessed for a time, allowing the heart to heal.
To enjoy life more, ponder the power of things as “retrieval cues” to joy or pain. If you find your struggle is too much to bear for now, remove those things (pictures, memorabilia) that transport you to times of sorrow. Display things that elicit joy and comfort. And, if you need a time of recovery, consider a change of scenery.
Faith Corner
Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” (Luke 22:19)
Remembering is an important part of developing and maintaining a relationship. Couples in marriage counseling are often asked to remember how they met or remember how things were between them before the current difficulty. Sharing good times is part of building a relationship. Remembering those good times can help reinvigorate a strained relationship.
When the Bible uses the word “remember” or “remembrance” the meaning is much like it is for us, namely, to “recollect” or “call to mind.” There are numerous scriptures that encourage the believer to remember what the Lord has done in the past.
For His followers, Jesus Christ left a “souvenir” of His time on earth in the form of a shared meal of bread and wine. To reinvigorate their relationship with Him, believers were to eat and drink “in remembrance” of Him. This activity (referred to as Communion) would “call to mind” and strengthen the relationship during the strain of separation from Him.
Dear Lord, thank you for providing a way to revitalize my relationship with You. Help me to remember You whenever I eat and drink. Strengthen me by my remembrance of You. Amen.
Poetry Pause
Ribbons Remember
Ribbons of asphalt,
Corridors for travelers,
Once neutral,
Now couriers for memories.
The speeding ticket;
The treacherous snowstorm;
The terrifying accident;
All are encoded –
Ribbons remember.
Fear,
Sadness,
And grief
Are all linked
To their ribbons.
To drive a ribbon
Is to pull the memory, and
Release the emotion.
Because ribbons remember.
By Cindy MacGregor, August 8, 2022
Note. My husband and I spend many hours on the road. I wrote this poem after we recently drove the section of highway where we had a serious accident (in 2018). What struck me was the emotions activated by the route. It was as if the highway “remembered.”
Old Mom to Young Mom
Childhood Souvenirs
Being a mom of well-adjusted adults is my highest accomplishment. I was so good at giving them wings they have successfully “flown” to their own lives in three different states. My husband and I still live in the house from which our children “flew away.” We still refer to their bedrooms by the names of the children who once occupied them.
I’m in “Jenny’s room” as I write this. She moved out many years ago but I have no urgent need to redecorate this space. This room is a time portal to a precious season of my life, one where she was a daily resident in my home. I like it here because she lived here. The decor is what we painted together. The room is a souvenir of sorts. A souvenir of her childhood. And a souvenir of my season of active mothering.
There’s a football helmet in my son’s room, covered in stickers from important “plays” during his senior, and final, year of high school football. It was an expensive, and unnecessary, purchase. But he wanted it as a souvenir. And I am thankful it is here, sitting on a chest of drawers, in “his” bedroom.
The bedroom next to me was the refuge for my first-born daughter. I have had suggestions from friends to “turn it into” something else. I don’t think I will. It, too, is a time portal. Oh, I use it, but mostly for storage. I also use it for my morning quiet time and journal-writing space.
So, young mom, if you are reading this, what advice do I have for you? Save a few things from these years. One day you, too, may want them as “time portals” to this season of their childhood.
Dear Dr. Mac
A quick word of thanks for Jewel for her encouraging email to me; I apologize for not acknowledging it sooner in my newsletter. You are a treasure! (pun intended)
One reader asked me what I meant (in the In the Dark edition) when I said my daughter and I value being “strong in pain.” It is essential to me that pain doesn’t win. By that I mean pain doesn’t prevent life from continuing and responsibilities being fulfilled. I own my pain and the responsibility to manage it. I knew my daughter was hurting but I respected her autonomy to decide when and how to experience her grief. Granted, this “strong in pain” approach, like all strengths, can also be a weakness. Shared pain is a powerful interpersonal connector. The pinnacle of “strength in pain” is to be courageous enough to share it with selected, trusted others.
If you would like to hear what I think about something, please send an email to: drcjmacgregor@outlook.com; I will respond via email or in this section of a future newsletter, or both. I hope to hear from you!