“I notice how I prepare for the future, based on past experience, while trying not to lose awareness in the now.”

We saw a documentary once on a man who’d brain had been damaged in such a way that he only knew of the present moment.

At first thought, it was wow — a true spiritual guru. Isn’t living in the now, what we strive for in practice.

Truth is a brain injury is horrid. It didn’t take long to see the hell this guy and his family were in. He had no recollection of nouns past. He could not reference people, places and things that came before and felt he was constantly “just waking up” from a sleep. His awareness was as if — this moment, this one, no this one… was the first moment he was ever conscious of and then… he would wake up to this moment.

He wasn’t even able to reflect back on what a great or horrible moment it had been. He was alone in the moment — forever.

We need our past and a healthy brain, to help us deal with today, and tomorrow.

My Grandmother Chambers was born on this day in 1890.

I have quite a few memories of her. I wish I had more. I do have the fur coat she is wearing in this photo and I wonder quite often, what the heck I could/should do with it.

To me, my Grandmother looks old in this photo — but she was only 65 or 66 years old when she held me on her lap. She lived another 16 years.

Ken saw a photo of Grandmother standing with my mother once, and one of my mother standing with me. He said, “Can’t say I wasn’t warned.”

“I notice how I prepare for the future, based on past experience, while trying not to lose awareness in the now.”

Today I salute my past! I am grateful I can remember, and enjoy today, with the ability to look forward to tomorrow.