It’s interesting - and sometimes bewildering - how people can live through the same experience and have not only different reactions but different memories.

Case in point, I’ve had many conversations with my youngest son regarding the circumstances in our family as he was growing up.  “It wasn’t that bad,” he has kindly declared. Personally, I think he’s an old soul who has a high tolerance level for drama, trauma, and pain coupled with a philosophical mindset.  

I look back on MY past and marvel that I survived.  Fear, hopelessness, and despair were frequent childhood companions.  A crushing sense of anxiety that manifested as angry impatience marred my adult years.  Eventually I sank into depression. I’ve no doubt the people who lived through those times with me have their own very different memories and perceptions.  

What happens when people have varied impressions of the same events?  Is someone right and someone wrong? I believe that whatever the circumstances, people need validation.  What we’ve experienced matters and we need someone to acknowledge that.

What about you?  Do you have old ghosts kicking around in your closet?