"Good times come and go but the memories will last forever."

Have you ever been in the middle of something when a song came on or you arrived at a familiar destination and suddenly a memory, or a whole flood of them, came back to you?

The other day I was at my parents' house playing with our cat and memories started springing in my heart. These aren't moments I had forgotten; rather, they were memory details that I hadn't thought about in a while. If you have a cat, then you probably know what I'm talking about – the way their eyes widen when they start to play, and how their head goes back and forth as they tense up and get ready to pounce. Our cat was doing that, and while we created new memories playing together, it gave me beautiful memories of our other feline family members before her.

Later, after the sun set, more memories came to mind. I should say it was more of a remembered feeling. My parents' house gets this cozy glow in the evening, a glow that suggests everyone is going to head up the stairs and wish each other good night, and that promises soon you'll be tucked into bed all warm and cozy. That glow comes from my childhood – that cozy promise sprung from all these happy memories, memories that I hold dear because the people in them are.

Writing tip

Whether you're prepping for NaNoWriMo or working on a story now, it may be useful to think about the role setting and music play in stirring memories. This could be useful to you as you search for a story deep within your heart waiting to be told, or for your characters as you explore their past, their history and who they are today. Often the way we remember things can influence how we feel and why we act the way we do.

"Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory." – Dr. Seuss