Memory

“I can smile at the old days/I was beautiful then”
My brother and his wife just welcomed their first son into the world. Out of curiosity, I looked up the man for whom he was named and discovered that the anniversary of that man’s death was the day before my nephew’s birth. Naturally, that got me thinking.

This month (January 28) is the 25th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. I remember several years ago being amazed to realize that there were people who could drive (and, later, vote) who had no memory of that event other than what they had seen on TV or the Internet. Similar, I imagine, to how my grandparents might have felt if they had pondered, around the time of my birth, the kids who could drive but had no memory of JFK’s assassination.
Although I have never seen the musical “Cats,” I recently came across a video of the song “Memory.” In reading the lyrics as I was preparing this note, I was struck by the line I quoted above. Immediately in my mind’s eye I pictured a photo my mom took of me when I was around sixteen. We were vacationing in Florida at the time, and I was leaning over the side of a friend’s pool, with only my upper body visible. My arms were heavily muscled and my abs were in enviable shape. You might say “I was beautiful then.” Alas, while my arms are still somewhat muscular, that picture was probably the last time my stomach looked that good.
For many years I’ve struggled with issues related to body image, and to some extent I still do. The temptation, of course, is to beat myself up and say I need to hit the gym -- just as soon as the weather heats up (or cools down, depending on the season). However, while exercise is a wonderful -- and necessary -- thing, it shouldn’t become an obsession. I need to keep reminding myself of the apostle Paul’s words:
“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Philippians 4:12)
“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:13-14)