What I Carry: Memory, Meaning, and Me…

Daily writing prompt
What is the most important thing to carry with you all the time?

What I Carry: Memory, Meaning, and Me...

For me, the most important thing to carry isn’t something you can pack in a bag or slip in your pocket, it’s your memories, and just as vital, your sense of who you are.

Memories are more than just mental snapshots; they are the raw material of identity. They remind me of where I’ve been, the good, the bad, the absurd, and the beautiful. They hold the quiet lessons I wasn’t ready to learn at the time, and the loud ones that shook me awake. They carry the voices of people I’ve loved, lost, forgiven, or left behind. And they keep the version of myself I fought to become anchored in something real.

But memory without self-awareness is just a scrapbook. Knowing yourself, truly knowing yourself, is what gives those memories shape and meaning. It’s the compass when everything else around you is chaos. It’s what helps you stand firm when the world tries to define you, rebrand you, or break you.

Knowing yourself means understanding your values, your triggers, your worth. It’s the difference between reacting and responding. Between getting lost in someone else’s storm and staying rooted in your own calm. It lets you choose your path, rather than drift down someone else’s.

So, if I had to choose one thing to carry at all times, it would be the quiet, grounded knowledge of who I am, stitched together by memory, scar tissue, soul, and stubborn grace.

Because when you know yourself, you can walk into any room, face any moment, and carry your truth like armor, invisible, but unshakeable.

Mae 🧡


Comments

24 responses to “What I Carry: Memory, Meaning, and Me…”

  1. Lovely post.

    However whenever I look back I am filled with remorse and oscillate between what I did and what I should have done, how I was looked at and why I did not recognise myself. Bothersome.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Geeta. I think many of us wrestle with that same tug-of-war between past choices and imagined ones. Hindsight always sharpens the view, but it’s the you back then, doing your best with what you knew, who brought you to the you now. 🧡

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Beautifully written

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you 🧡

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Dear Mae
    I am lost in a different world while reading your posts. I loved this post, too.

    Thanks for liking my post, ‘Writing’🙏❤️

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you 🧡

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Joey Jones Avatar
    Joey Jones

    Way to go, Mae x

    Liked by 2 people

  5. Another verse in your lunar hymn

    Liked by 1 person

  6. This is another post that really struck me. The older I get, the more my memories are important to me, and when I reflect on them, I become aware of more meaning to them than I noticed at the time.

    I love how you expressed this, Mae!

    –Scott

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you, Scott. It’s amazing how time adds new layers of meaning to old memories.🧡

      Liked by 2 people

  7. I think looking back over old memories is fine when you are well-rooted in the present, otherwise it can be a somewhat risky business.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Absolutely, Tony, without firm roots in the present, it’s easy for us to get lost in the past🧡

      Liked by 1 person

  8. A great post, Mae. I enjoyed it very much.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Mags xxx 🧡

      Liked by 1 person

  9. I loved your answer. It was very insightful.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Thomas. I’m glad it resonated with you. Sometimes the insights surprise me as much as anyone!

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Dear Mae
    It’s quite inspiring for me to study more & write differently when I read your posts.
    Thanks for liking my post ‘Reviews’ 🙏🌺❤️♥️

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That’s such a lovely thing to hear, thank you 🙏 I think we all spark ideas in each other, and I’m glad my words encouraged you. I enjoyed your post too. 🧡

      Like

  11. “They hold the quiet lessons I wasn’t ready to learn at the time, and the loud ones that shook me awake.”

    So profound!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you 🧡

      Liked by 1 person

  12. Joey Jones Avatar
    Joey Jones

    Perfect!!! x

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Joey 🧡

      Liked by 1 person

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