There are two ways (at least) of looking at memory. Sometimes we feel trapped by our memory; we realize our tendency to superimpose things from the past on present time happenings. We can feel caught in a repetitive pattern of events because of our memory. We may view animals as much freer than ourselves because they don't seem to mind repetition. Yet our memory is not just a yoke that pulls us into repetitive cycles. Memory gives us the freedom to make sense of our life. Without memory, there would be no possibility of functioning in our world. We remember all the rules of life each day, and we remember how to apply them. If we had to relearn how to walk, talk, eat, drive or relate to others every day, life wouldn't be possible for us. We can be glad for the memory of who and what each of us is every day. There may come a point of liberation when we are free from the bondage of memory, but we will still have the use of memory to function appropriately in this world. Be thankful for the great tool of memory.