Memories are breadcrumbs that take us back to our beginnings. Some bring laughter. Some carry regret. Together, they bring us to who we are right now. Each has played a part in shaping the unique person we’ve become, even the ones we’d rather forget.
Writing memoirs has been an experience in opening and closing the file cabinets of my brain. Some memories would have made a great story, but telling them would have come at a great cost. Those got put back in the file cabinet. A good writer knows how to pick and choose. Not every memory has to become a published story.
When I write, the thing that matters most to me is writing my own truth. What I experienced. What I understood then. What I understand now. Sometimes, the distance between those two understandings is a story all its own.
When something is written truthfully, it can touch the heart. And THAT is the key to beautiful writing.
Today, choose a file cabinet in your own brain. Open it. See what’s there. Take your time with the memories you find. Find the truth you can live with. Then…WRITE.