Mnemosyne

Human memory is so fallible.

We think we will remember an idea, only to have it slide from our grasp. We are sure that this night, this moment, will be one we never forget — yet the edges of that memory start to fade and waver even as our experiences shape it. Vital details, so clear and vivid, slip from the tip of our tongue and out of our minds entirely.

There are more ways to remember, however.

We can share our experiences, so that a detail that escapes us may yet linger with a companion. We can put them to paper, taking notes or writing out long, thoughtful pages describing every moment. We can put them to song, shape them in paint or clay, inscribe them onto our skin as a permanent reminder.

There are subtler ways, too. A place can hold memories as well as a page; a scent can bring them to life as surely as a song. A symbol need not be etched upon our skin to evoke just the right idea.

Walk through the garden of Mnemosyne and let the memories be your path: let their scents carry to you moments entirely forgotten; let their vibrant colors stir within you feelings long buried.

There are many ways to remember, but this is her favourite: flowers planted in a garden that seems to have no end, filled with blossoms budding and trees grown sturdy from their sapling starts.

Human memories are so fallible, but the flowers do not forget. The trees hold within their rings all the things we thought we'd remember, and the veins of leaves and petals spell out our most pivotal moments.

Inhale the fragrance, savor the reminiscences — and before you go, plant something. Anything. Plant a memory here in this garden, and it will never be forgotten.