Remember It All

Some people tell us

To forget the past

The awkward mistakes

The bitter heartbreaks

The embarrassing moments

That rethinking can’t change

The terrible jobs

The friends that we’ve lost

Just throw it all out

It’s not worth

The emotional cost

But I don’t think that’s

The right strategy

I don’t think it’s helpful

To pretend we can’t see

The trials that shaped us

Made us who we are now

The pain that brought wisdom

And sense to our brow

All we’ve accomplished

Came as we learned

The most precious lessons

Were seared when we burned

Why hide from the moments

That forced us to grow?

If life took no effort

How much would we know?

So, I would suggest

That you remember it all

The tackles

The touchdowns

The fumbles 

The falls

Every last time

You handled the ball

No matter what happened

No judgment at all

Think back on all

That you can recall

The way that if felt

The way that it smelled

The greats things that you once could do

One day

You’ll be old

And weak and alone

You’ll no longer enjoy

The things that you’ve done

All that you’ll have

Is time to look back

On the things you did

The places you went

The adventures you had

The people you met

Your triumphs and failures

And everyday treasures

‘Cause in your waning years

Those old memories

Will seems more precious

Than ever before

Even the ones that haunted you then

Will seem special now

When you look back at them

And think 

You know, it wasn’t that bad

It wasn’t that bad at all!

And you will be glad

For all that you had

When you know in your heart

That it won’t be coming back

Copyright © 2020 Daniel R. South

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