As I write this, it’s raining, and I can’t help but look out the window to see it every few moments. The rain is comforting – it’s steady. My eyes go in and out of focus on the drops, witnessing their journey as they fall, then letting them become hazy as I hone in on the buildings behind them. My eyes enjoy this teeter-totter game, and my mind takes the cue to relax and teeter between memories, as well.

It takes me to moments on my honeymoon – dancing barefoot on the streets of Rome, smiling as my husband drives a boat in Capri, witnessing the Eiffel Tower twinkle for the first time. It winds me down a West Virginia country road with crinkly leaves beneath my mud-splattered boots. It transports me to an audition in a tiny NYC studio, bright-colored leotards lining the mirrors. It recalls holding a life-sized swan puppet’s hand on stage, performing for a theater full of gleeful children. It propels me to Sunday spaghetti dinner at Nana’s house followed by canning tomatoes on Meemaw’s farm. It hands me memories of Daddy brushing my hair and of Mom teaching me to crochet. It underscores the sunset behind the skyline before we begin dancing, and it uplifts the sound of the oars as they glide through the water on a sunny summer day.

These memories come seamlessly, one transforming into the next – and then another. Rarely is one connected to that which follows it. I let them come and go as they please, purposefully not dictating which moments decide to peer through. On their own, they string together to create a short film reeling through my mind.

And then as quickly as it began, I awaken myself from this daydream, acknowledging once again the drops of rain before they kiss the ground. I’m grateful for these wandering moments, seeing them as adding beauty to my day as opposed to wasting time.

Perhaps you would like to let your mind take you on a journey soon – let it recall moments you lived that are now snugly nestled somewhere within you. And if you’re like me, it will leave you with nothing short of warm nostalgia and a sweet smile.