A Little Memory

I've been using an app called thelittlememory as a way of keeping track of the little things I experience in life. It's like a digital journal, but meant more for small memories that give you joy or sadness or anger that you would otherwise forget.

"what do you want to remember about today?"

Eventually you start getting anniversaries (one week, one month, three months, six months, one year, etc.) and I'm rounding on my two year anniversary of my first memory.

You can also make your memories public, on a sort of worldwide bulletin board. It never shows you names or any identifying marks, so it can be truly anonymous. But sometimes people who post public memories tend to do so a lot, and from the way they talk, the names they mention, you can start piecing together stories. I've watched a lot of people I've never met grow through their little memories. I've seen friendships evolve and devolve, relationships live and die, obstacles overcome. I've even seen a people's lives being saved.

I've sent a few emails back and forth with the guy who created the app. First it was to congratulate him on 500,000 worldwide memories, then on 600, and then a couple big reports. A couple weeks ago he sent me an email saying he was sending out tokens of appreciation to the people who have been supporting the app the longest (some people have been here four years, though; I was a bit surprised to get an email). I gave him my mailing address, and then kind of forgot about it. 

Yesterday I received a package in the mail. Inside was a handwritten note, a bag of well-loved legos, and handmade lil mem magnets. I cried when I opened it.

Things I'm stealing from yesterday:

Always keep a journal of the small things as well as the big

There's happiness in the little memories

You can find friends in unlikely places

We don't have to be afraid of strangers on the internet