The winds of change: old memories flood in, but new ones are made

The winds of change: old memories flood in, but new ones are made

A memory is a moment where time seems to go too quickly, and you hold on to every second as if you never want to let go.Imagine being in a time machine directing your travel to these precious spells of joy. I remember I was on the swim team and I would get up at the crack of dawn to go to practice and during winter and fall seasons of swim team. It was freezing, even bundled in a parka and sweat pants over my suit. I used to loathe getting up and then after practice I would only wash my air so the chlorine smelt strong and clung to my skin as if I was a mermaid with scales. Those days I called all of teammates my family, since we were together almost all the time. Shifting to the mountains and cabin of Lakemont Pines, where my grandma, God rest her soul, was by the fire and it was snowing outside. The area is the most beautiful winter outdoor picture next to Tahoe or on campus in Reno. I love the mountains, the fresh air, and the quiet, and lush surrounding without all of the city lights. I would go sledding down the driveways of the neighborhood with my family and make a snowman. It wasn’t a real Christmas unless it was at the Dunasky Bent Nail (aka grandparents’ home). My grandfather created a castle and with her gone, he continues to go about his routine, and yet I know inside things aren’t the same, but he remains resilient. Pass over to the mornings at the Catholic Church in Reno where I met the most wonderful African family, three children and a baby, two loving parents far away from home, letting me into their lives. I held those little ones in the pews and they clung to me like glue; I was present at their wedding, (reenactment to get married in an American Catholic church), and I shared many tears as I informed them I would be leaving to go back to California. I email them still today and hear updates when things have slowed down. Push toward all those college days, football games, girls’ nights out, dancing in the rain, partying, classes, teachers who made a difference, peers: Holly, Darryl, Rachel, Angelina, Matt, Karissa, Hilary, and many others who made an imprint on my heart. I speak to a handful of them and stay in touch, never forget what they did for me. I’ll take my time machine to when I met my first love and to the painful, yet liberating point of when I said goodbye. That whole campus, the feeling, the sights, the sounds the smells, all pocketed with me, and a snapshot I know I will keep close. Go forward to moving into my own place, my face, my exploding face, when I received my own set of keys, and set foot on what I would call home. Meeeting the bible study girls and my ecstatic six grade euphoria of finally making new friends.  Laughing till 1am and drinking angry orchards with my best friends Krysta and Kailee, to dinners out and pedicures with my besties Julie and Tara, I cherish them all.  I hug my family tightly and try every day to forget the tears, the anger or the sadness, maybe I had an embarassing night or said too much or something went wrong for me to learn to let it roll away, since today right now is where I am and where I should be, blessed as He intended us to be. Even though these times are gone, and some things we can never get back, I can appreciate that all of these precious events, they all happened.  Moments are all we have in this life, whether it be a heartbreaking ordeal, a sweet piece of bliss and happiness, all are taken with the winds of change....