What I want to remember and what I want to forget

I keep mulling over the neurosurgeon's comment that my memory may be affected by this surgery. It is a sobering thought.

Here are a few things I want to remember (in no particular order):

• My family members & friends
• My dog (and especially to FEED my dog)
• All the reasons why I fell in love with my husband
• What it felt like to hold my children the first time
• All the funny things my children have done (yes, Mom - I hear you saying, "I TOLD you to write all that stuff down when it happened!")
• How to sing
• How to clog dance (not that I do it very often, but it's kind of cool, albeit harsh on the knees)
• My clients and what I am supposed to be doing for them
• The lessons I have learned from past adversity (self-imposed and life-imposed)
• Where I hid the Christmas presents
• My passwords for email and phone
• When to pay the bills online
• Important dates, like birthdays and anniversaries
• Why I NEVER pump gas (simple reason: I never have, so why start now?)
• How to get my daughter to fall asleep when she's overtired
• All the silly "I love you" games I do with my son (like the kiss "pump spray", the "I super duper shmooper scooper flooper mooper - etc. - love you", and stuff like that).
• Who is on the phone when they shout "WHAT?!!!" as their greeting (my brother, Jim).
• My obsession with daily exercise (started nearly 3 years ago and will only allow doctor-ordered bedrest or brain surgery ICU recovery as excuses not to exercise)
• How to make my favorite foods
• What I gave people as gifts, so I don't give the same thing again
• The fact that I am allergic to pennicillin
• How horrifying my "fat jeans" are, and how much I want to get back into my "skinny jeans"

Things I'd like to forget:

• Stupid mistakes (except for the lessons learned)
• Embarrassing moments
• What it feels like to wake up from brain surgery
• Anything that makes me wake up in the middle of the night to worry about
• How much money I spent on Black Friday
• Painful experiences (except for the lessons learned)
• How much I like cookies

I'm sure both lists will grow, but at least it's a start...