A MEMOIR – the untold story inside our heart

A MEMOIR – the untold story inside our heart

(June 11, 2023)

A Memoir is defined as: a branch of creative nonfiction, a genre defined by the writer Lee Gutkind as “true stories, well told.” The etymology of the word “memoir,” which comes to us from the French, tells us of the human urge to put experience to paper, to remember. Indeed, a memoir is “something written to be kept in mind.” How to Write a Memoir: Examples and a Step-by-Step Guide | Writers.com

With that definition, a MEMOIR then can be referred to as true stories that are stored in our hearts waiting to be expressed and shared. For what reason? To be remembered.

Sharing of one’s innermost feelings and personal anecdotes will make the other person to which they are shared able to understand, accept and love the sharer in a more intimate way. Intimate meaning more personal and loving, not necessarily romantic to be clear. Well to some it may also be romantic.

But more than just the romanticism of the idea of sharing one’s innermost self with a loved person, the contents of the Memoir are treasures in themselves. Why? Because they are a collection of the bits and pieces of experiences that make the person who he/she is without screens. Receiving a Memoir from another person is like being gifted by that person with the most precious gift the person can give – one’s true self. Not just the façade of what is seen externally, but most importantly what is inside – the essentials of the person’s being.

Therefore, this Memoir is not just a physical written journal of a person’s innermost thoughts and feelings, experiences, and life stories, but can be an act of opening to another person in trust and confidence. It is therefore an honor and a privilege to be given another person’s Memoir. Such is a reception of a treasure, a most precious gift. It is very fragile. We must be careful receiving it. We do not just take care of it. We must love it.

Receiving this kind of Memoir from another person means that the giver or sharer trusts us with his/her life. If we accept the gift, we become responsible for the person. Accepting the honor of being a recipient of a treasured Memoir is both an honor and a responsibility. And it is a divine duty to undertake such responsibility to take care and to love.

 Patience, by the way, is needed in the process of accepting the Memoir. The Memoir is such a very fragile yet treasured one that the sharer oftentimes take time to reveal or share his/her Memoir. And it is only given, even very slowly, to the person whom the sharer trusts with his/her heart. It is the Memoir-owner’s life. To be trusted on someone’s Memoir is an expression of LOVE.

A Memoir is a symbol of deep love.