Sly Stallone and Words of Wisdom

If there was ever a time I loved This is Us more, it is when they had Sly Stallone (AKA Rocky, one of my favorite movie characters of all time) guest star this season. From telling Kate she was the next Adrian to having a heart-to-heart chat with Kevin, Sly is loved and embraced by the This is Us community too. One of the most memorable quotes from this episode is when Kevin refers to the death of his father as "being a long time ago." Sly, in a warm yet challenging moment says, "In my experience. there is no such thing as a long time ago. There are only memories that mean something and memories that don't." Such powerful and true words.

It is obvious Kevin is suppressing his grief over losing his father. Whether he is directly (or indirectly) responsible for his father's death (as implied by the last scene of the first episode of the season where the camera lingers on Kevin's leg clearly in a cast) remains to be seen, but we as viewers are well aware that Kevin's denial of his loss will prove detrimental to his future, and may have played a role in his past transgressions.

Which begs the question: are there any memories you are repressing and telling yourself it was a long time ago? What memories mean something to you, and which ones do you dismiss as being a long time ago? Do you think your repression has proven a detriment to your emotional and spiritual well being? As you recall memories from your past, have you fully dealt with the emotions tied to them? Like Sly said, there's no such thing as a long time ago. Putting off your emotional pain can cause a rift in the health of your future.