It has come to my attention how important a memory can be.

As we go through life, we have to store many facts and events and have them handy to pull out and examine and talk about and maybe do something about.

Take birthdays, for instance. Birthdays are important to many people but recently I heard a friend say that remembering birthdays is only really important if you don’t have any more to celebrate.

Anniversary celebrations are also celebrated with dinners out and gifts and parties but the memories I was thinking about were the ones that involve people and relatives.

Have you been to a family gathering lately where one person starts to relate a past event (like remember when our little brother was learning to swim and he overflowed the bathtub to get it deep enough to practice diving)? Since you were probably there at the time of course you remember but if you’ve forgotten, it’s a fun memory all over again.

I love these kinds of gatherings of relatives and friends and recently was lucky enough to have been part of an “Old Gang” reunion. We all went to high school at the same time in Spokane. Some to Gonzaga, some to Holy Names Academy, some to Lewis & Clark and some to West Valley. What fun to see them.

We don’t have a schedule to adhere to for these meetings, we just seem to meet up periodically over lunch or dinner and probably you can imagine the conversations. “How many grandkids do you have now?” was a pretty popular topic. “Where did you go on that cruise?” was another. Even “How are you feeling now after …” was another.

Catching up and making more memories is important. For me, it’s to fill in the gaps of the things I’ve forgotten (but I’m not admitting to memory loss), and reconnecting to those who are so important to my life. Don’t you just love reunions?

Now I have a couple of reminders, just in case you haven’t got these dates in your memory yet:

nDon’t forget to check out the Hansville Rummage Sale on Aug. 9 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and Aug. 10 (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.). Some good, useful things to help you decorate your home, to help you do those chores, and even make you happy (like all those gently worn kids clothes that will help the back-to-school-budget.

nAnd don’t forget the Rummage Sale Volunteer Recap Dinner Aug. 14, 5:30 p.m.

nAug. 23 is the date of the Coaster Games. Bring your made-at-home coaster car and have some fun. Register at 2 p.m. and the games start at 2:30 p.m. Even if you don’t have a car, come watch the fun.

And a final word. Take some time this summer to make some memories to share or just hold dear to you heart. They can be so comforting during a dreary, rainy winter.

— Donna Lee Anderson writes Hansville Happenings for the Kingston Community News. Contact her at WellToldTales@aol.com