Reminiscence is the act of remembering and sharing memories from the past, especially pleasant ones. When your grandmother tells stories about growing up on a farm, she's engaging in reminiscence. When old friends get together and laugh about the time they accidentally locked themselves in the gym, that's reminiscence too.

The word comes from a Latin root meaning “to remember,” and it suggests a warm, thoughtful kind of remembering. You might simply recall where you left your backpack, but you reminisce about your favorite summer vacation or the day you learned to ride a bike.

Reminiscence often brings people together. At family reunions, adults spend hours in reminiscence, swapping stories about people and events from long ago. Sometimes these memories grow a bit rosier over time: that camping trip that seemed miserable in the rain becomes a funny adventure in reminiscence years later.

The feeling of reminiscence is usually bittersweet but mostly pleasant. You might feel a little sad that a wonderful time has passed, but mostly you feel grateful to have those memories. When you flip through old photos or hear a song that reminds you of a special moment, you're experiencing reminiscence.