What do you "get" from forgetting?

"Do not let the shadows of your past darken the doorstep of your present and future."

~Suman Rai

Right before the anniversary of 9/11, we are flooded with messages telling us to 'never forget.' 

And this year, these words made me consider the subject of 'forgetting.'  The action of forgetting is sometimes out of our control. We get older, or maybe we have an illness or emotional issue, and we forget events and facts we once held dear. At other times, it is a willful action at requires lots of practice to forget truly. It's like a lit candle that even after being blown out leaves behind the waxy memory. 

Yes, forgetting can be hard, but it is often the beginning of some great things. 

The deepest hurts and time of turmoil are lessened by our ability to forget. When we can carry on as though something never happened, we find a freedom that allows us to rise above the potential devastation. When you wake up one day and realize that something which once hindered you no longer holds power in your memory, there's desire to chuckle audibly. You get a sense of victory. Complete domination over an ugliness that tried to smother your joy.

And you can forget without giving up your lessoned learned.

I think that is what the message of 'never forget' is in the photos I see from 9/11. We can rise above past pain, and it's devastation without finding ourselves falling victim to it again. Because utmostly, what we get from forgetting, is a strength. 

Resiliency.

Fortitude.

Find your way to forgetting, wisely.

Cheers.