Memories...

^{Designed with Canva}

I’ve always referred to memories as boxes that can be filled with explicit or implicit memories.

Explicit memories are things we are aware of, like things that have happened to us (episodic) or things like our general knowledge (semantic).

When we write posts on Steemit, we use both of these memories to write them. What I have found lately is that in most of the contests, it is expected of us to write about our explicit memories. Those things that happened to us.

I am on a mission to clear some of my photos from my phone, as I have thousands of them, but I am afraid I am making little progress as each time I get stuck on a photo. Should I delete it, or should I not? Just know that when you start asking that kind of question nine out of ten times, you are not going to delete it.

Today is just the day to start clearing my photos. It is an overcast and cold winter day. I made myself a cup of tea, went and sat on the retainer couch, legs all stretched out, and opened my photo album.

I got stuck at the very first photo. A photo taken nearly ten years ago on November 26, 2013. Ah, did it bring back memories of an unforgettable holiday in Zanzibar.

I played the "Do you remember?" game with myself.

Yes, I can remember how blown away we were by the beauty of this country, the friendliness of the people, the calmness of the warm ocean, and the unbelievable food we ate. How can I forget the smell of the frangipanis that were blooming everywhere and that dreadful phone call we received telling us that our home was damaged by the massive hailstorm that hit Johannesburg?

It was a memorable holiday with ups and downs.

Next, I got stuck on February 23, 2014.

The day my stepson "caught" his first fish. What fathers won’t do for their boys. And now he is 13 years old.

Where have the years gone? It was like the other day when I held him for the first time and he filled our lives with cries, grunting, and gurgling. So quickly, it was replaced with words like "just now", "why," and "hhuuhh."
The latter I can still not find in any English dictionary and if you can, kindly let me know in which dictionary and on what page.

16 May 2015 The Frozen birthday cake I baked for my beloved granddaughter on her 3rd birthday. A cake that took me hours, but I will never forget the smile on her face when she saw it. It was worth every second I spent on building this "ice castle."

Times change, and these days I am the one getting spoiled by her sending me WhatsApp messages. A good morning at the early hours of the day, good night before it is time for her to switch her phone off, and "I love you ouma" when ever she misses me.
Messages filled with arms full of kisses and hearts.

An extraordinary sunrise from our house overlooking Johannesburg on November 19, 2016. We lived in that house for ten years overlooking Johannesburg, and not one morning was the same.
I must have taken hundreds of photos of these sunrises, telling my husband each time how beautiful they were.

It is true that the sun will come up the next day, but what is not true is that it will be the same as yesterday. Each day, like each sunrise, has its own uniqueness, beauty, and challenges. A blessing from our Heavenly Father.

12 August 2017, what an extraordinary day! I was a host during a fundraising event at my stepson’s school. I had to sell 12 tickets to ladies to attend a morning tea. I then also had to decorate my table and supply the food.

The theme of my table, "Staan op!" When translated, it means "stand up."

It was time that we stood up for who we are as women, our religion, our community, and our country. The theme was supported by Bible verses. One of them, Jeremiah 6:16: This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."

What makes this photo so special is that two of the ladies, my mother in law, and my niece are no longer with us.

A visit to my favorite fisherman's dorpie (village) in South Africa, Paternoster on 03 October 2018. I took my stepchildren, their mother, and one of my grandchildren for a short holiday to the Western Cape, one of the nine provinces of South Africa.

Although we stayed in Cape Town close to Table Mountain, I had to take them for a drive to this beautiful little village.

Paternoster is not only one of the oldest fisherman's villages, but it is also the home of "bokoms," sun-dried and salty mullet (fish). I’ve always said that one day, when I win the lottery, I want to buy one of these white-washed houses and start a community project.

That, my friends, was my visit to my photos of six years this morning.

I am sure you are dying to know if I’ve deleted a photo. Well, the answer is NO. I didn’t delete a single photo. I would rather buy more "memory boxes" to back up my images.

Our photos are the pause button for our memories, use it often!