Nostalgia and the Now

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Midnight.

I write this after a spontaneous Facebook photo binge... looking through the past, remembering mostly just the good.

What do I remember fondly? Being with the people I'm fond of, especially those special people who really enjoy life, who love others, and give themselves to God.

My time at college, looking back, seems like bliss, daily encountering dozens and dozens of people whom my heart adores, in a place I called home.

Like these fine fellows. This brings such a large smile to my face, remembering getting to know them their first year, my last year at Northwestern.
Oh gall, I love these guys.
But what do I do with this? with all this joy? joy tinged with longing and a little sadness?

I smile. I laugh. I maybe almost get teary eyed. I thank God. I bless them.

I briefly imagine reunions filled with warm embraces and a little bit of that awkwardness when you don't know where to pick up.

But I exist right now. So why am I even taking time to reminisce when I have a dozens of people who are in my life now that I ought to be giving my thoughts to? Well, I didn't plan to enter into dreamy reminiscing, but positively I think there are two benefits for the present:

  1. Remembering the past good renews my vision for what I want to pursue now.
  2. Reflecting on past moments of joy reminds me to treasure and thank God for the moment by moment gifts he gives me now.
Case in point:
This is my roommate. I get to enjoy this guy.
Yes, I get to enjoy the fun times, the deep times, the teary times... but also the thousand mundane moments where we simply get to thank God for the gift of being.

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