It has made their relationship all the stronger.
Joanna Gaines, a recognized Magnolia icon, recently shared a touching discovery about how writing her first memoir, “The Stories We Tell,” turned out to be a transforming experience that helped her reconnect with treasured memories she believed were vanishing.
Joanna gained a new perspective on her life due to this reflective process, and she also learned how to interact with other people, allowing her to appreciate the tiny, happy moments and, in particular, her husband Chip’s infectious sense of humor.
Joanna revealed her incredibly personal experience of battling elusive memories of her most treasured memories in an article that was posted on the Magnolia blog and printed in the Winter 2022 issue of the Magnolia Journal.
“As much as I wanted to believe that somewhere in the dusty recesses of my mind were clear and distinct memories — the way my heart swelled when each of my kids took their first wobbly steps, the first time Chip made me laugh really hard, the feel of my hand tucked into my mom’s — every year those seem to fade a little more,” she said.
“I couldn’t so easily recall those tender little moments, the ones I think you find yourself wishing you could will to memory later after years have passed. Just to breathe them in again. To feel that part of your life once more,” she continued. “The more I wrote, the more I remembered, and the more I could feel the moments themselves.”
Joanna was able to reconstruct a vibrant “landscape of a life” that she had assumed was lost as a result of digging into her recollections. She now has a fresh outlook on life and will let this figurative setting influence her decisions as she moves forward in her path.
“I’m letting the story of my days so far show me what moments are worth chasing still,” she added. Joanna also realizes that she cannot go back in time or relive the early stages of parenting, but she has learned that she can purposefully look for occasions that serve as a reminder of her duty as a mother.
She smiled tenderly, “And I’ll let those take my breath away.” Additionally, she came to appreciate her husband Chip’s sense of humor and cherishes the times when he makes them laugh effortlessly. In addition, Joanna now values every chance to hug her mother a bit closer and relishes every goodbye.
In conclusion, Joanna is now looking forward to bringing new lessons along the way, remarking, “When I look back next time, I don’t want to see a kind of kaleidoscope life — out of focus and jumbled — where the moments I swore I’d never forget become difficult to discern amid the chaos of thoughts and memories unresolved. I want to live the next season of this beautiful life in focus.”