-J.R.R.Tolkien: The Fellowship of the Ring

As the year nears its end and days are getting cold and nights long, it is time for reminiscence. That's why our December theme is Memories.

Memories are a very important part of life, connecting our past with the present. What becomes a lasting memory and what gets forgotten is sometimes impredictable, but most often the strongest and most unusual experiences are what we remember longest. But also some that we thought long gone might be evoked by the situation - a word or a smell can be enough for that.

Memories of the past can influence the present feelings and actions. A dark memory can be traumatic to deal with even after a long time, but a bright memory can give a reason and strength to go on even in darkness and despair.

But what about memory loss? Whether by a sudden amnesia or by old age, losing memories can be much more grave than losing anything material. Even worse when you know you have lost something, but do not know what it was.

Keepsakes are another topic connected with memories - they can be heirlooms or things bound to treasured moments in life: a ring (not the One!), a locket, a string of hair... Their value is much bigger than the material one. But there is the danger of their value surpassing the importance of the present moment to their keeper. And just like clinging to keepsakes, living in memories and neglecting the here and now is also dangerous. Finding the right balance can be difficult sometimes. But I hope it won't be difficult to think of a story or picture for this theme: there are many interesting thoughts and topics you can explore here.

And the winners are:

Happy reading and congratulations to the winners!