Member-only story
There’s something about the past that glows a little brighter in hindsight.
Maybe it’s a summer when everything felt right, a relationship that you remember with rose-tinted glasses, or even just the simplicity of life before adult responsibilities hit.
Funny how we always seem to forget the bad parts, though, right?
I still catch myself thinking about a particular time in my early twenties. I was broke, clueless about life, and unsure of my future, but I also remember late-night drives with friends, blasting music, and laughing until our stomachs hurt.
Those memories feel golden, untouched by the stress that was actually happening in the background. I forget the anxiety I carried about finding a job and the sleepless nights over failed relationships.
It’s not just me, though. I’ve had countless conversations with friends who romanticize their college days or a specific relationship they swore was “the one.” But when we dig deeper, they admit it wasn’t as perfect as their memory makes it seem.
So, why do we do this? Why does the past often seem better than it was?
I think part of it is that the brain loves a good highlight reel.
When we look back, we filter out the mundane and painful moments, leaving only…
