When the Memories Come Back
Dear Son,
Sometimes it hits without warning.
A smell, a song, a silence — and suddenly you’re back there.
Not just remembering it… feeling it.
Like your body is reliving something your mind already survived.
Blurry vision.
Short breath.
A heaviness that makes no sense in the present moment, but feels realer than anything around you.
That’s how trauma travels — not in straight lines, but in circles.
And sometimes, those circles tighten without warning.
I’ve had whole days wrecked by memories I thought I’d already buried.
Not just the big stuff — but the quiet pain.
The moments where I let someone down.
Or was left behind.
Or felt like a mistake in human form.
And in those moments, I used to panic.
I’d think: “Why is this coming back? Haven’t I already dealt with this?”
But here’s what I’ve learned:
Healing doesn’t mean forgetting.
It means learning to feel without drowning.
And some days… that’s all you’re doing.
Letting the wave come.
Letting it pass.
Letting yourself breathe again afterward.
If this happens to you — and it will, especially if you’re healing something real — here’s what I want you to remember:
You’re not broken.
You’re not going backward.
You’re just human.
And your story is asking to be seen, not silenced.
You don’t have to fix the past to be free from it.
You just have to stop running from it.
Let the memories come.
Let them break your heart if they need to.
Then let them remind you:
You survived.
And now you’re the one holding the pen.
If I had a son, I’d want him to hear this…
The past may visit you, but it doesn’t own you.
Let the memories come — then let you decide what comes next.
📌 This letter was written by Fred Ferguson (GeezerWise). If it spoke to you, I’d love to hear back—just hit reply.
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—Fred [GeezerWise]