A Really Lovely Day – and Memories That Stay in the Body

Memories that stay in the body are sometimes created during the most ordinary of days. After yesterday, I find myself thinking about exactly that.

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After yesterday, I find myself thinking about how memories that stay with us are sometimes created during the most ordinary of days.

Then morning came around again, and here I am with a fresh cup of coffee and my laptop on my lap. I’ve opened the patio door to let in some fresh air.

Yesterday, I went into town to pick up my sunglasses. While I was there, I also took the opportunity to meet Simon and his partner.

I actually didn’t buy anything

We walked around looking at clothes, and something quite remarkable happened – I didn’t buy a single item of clothing.

Right now, I simply think the colours that are in fashion are rather ugly. There was absolutely nothing in the shops we visited that suited my taste. Except for one white blouse.

But white isn’t really a colour for me. White clothes tend to stay white for a very short time when I’m wearing them. And that’s definitely not my cup of tea.

What about you? Can you walk around the shops without buying anything, or do you almost always find something that ends up coming home with you?

A bar of soap and the feeling of the lake

We did, however, go into Naturkompaniet.

That’s where I found a bar of soap that smelled absolutely wonderful.

Yes, it cost a bit. But that scent! I could already imagine what it will feel like to use it by the lake. That soap will become associated with mornings, water and that special feeling I get when I’m there.

So sometimes, something is worth paying a little extra for simply because of the feeling it gives you.

Once they had finished shopping, we went for lunch at a restaurant with a proper buffet. Unfortunately, there weren’t many gluten-free options, but they had sushi and orange chicken, so I still found something to eat.

Is there a scent, taste or object that immediately takes you to a place where you feel good?

She stopped the car just to say hello

When I was back home in the village, one of those small things happened that can mean much more than you might expect.

I ran into a former colleague.

She had seen me walking out of Coop as she was driving past. She parked her car so that she could come over and say hello.

It genuinely warmed my heart.

That feeling when someone sees you and thinks: There she is. I want to stop and talk to her.

It’s really quite a small gesture. But sometimes those small gestures say a great deal about a relationship.

We stood there chatting for a while, and it was so nice to see her again.

When was the last time someone did something small that made you feel seen or appreciated?

From little boy to grown man

That evening, Simon and his partner came over and we had grilled sausages. Afterwards, they showed us photos from their hike up Galdhøpiggen this summer and from their most recent trip to Albania.

As I sat there looking at their photos, I was reminded again of how much I enjoy it when Simon comes to visit.

He came here when he was little. Now he’s grown up and has a life of his own, his travels and his partner. And yet he still comes back from time to time to visit.

That means a lot.

Memories that stay in the body

We started talking about perhaps taking a little trip together sometime. Maybe Poland. Maybe Germany. Or simply Denmark.

Where we go doesn’t really matter.

It’s more about doing something together.

Because that’s how memories are made.

Not just photographs that remain on our phones, but the kind of memories that somehow settle into the body and stay with us.

What memories do you carry that you can still somehow feel in your body when you think back on them?

It is now that we experience and feel

When I think back on yesterday, perhaps that’s what I like most about it.

I didn’t buy any clothes. I picked up my sunglasses. I bought a bar of soap that smells wonderful. I had lunch. Someone stopped her car just to say hello. We grilled sausages and looked at holiday photos.

None of those things is particularly remarkable on its own.

But together, they made for a really lovely day.

And perhaps that’s exactly what many of the best days in life look like.

It’s easy to think of memories as something we look back on later. But while we’re living an entirely ordinary Friday, we don’t actually know which moments will stay with us.

Perhaps that’s why the present moment matters so much. Memories that stay in the body are being created while life is actually happening.

What is there in your life today that you want to be truly present for while it’s actually happening?

Yesterday isn’t here. Tomorrow is in the future. It is now that we experience and feel.
– Carina Ikonen Nilsson

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