All I can remember about my childhood was that it was sad. Few really bad things happened that left me a very sad and confused child growing up. These days during meditation I get glimpses of my childhood… just feelings and images… eating ice cream on a ferry in Hong Kong, feeding the pigeons at Trafalgar Square, the flowers the beautiful flowers, colors, fragrance at Kew gardens, the smell of wood stove at my grandma’s house in Calcutta, the taste of fresh made candy at my grandma’s house, the first and only Christmas gift I ever got… These fill my heart with pure joy for a few mins. I realize, my childhood was not all bad… few things happened that put a veil on all the good that was there… with meditation it is like this veil is lifted and I can see the “good” again…
Shanti - I think our souls were separated at birth. 
I too am of the melancholy bent, and love its bitterweetness. When my veil lifts, what I see are events of the past which bear no great significance; but that it was always I who colored them one way or another.
Thanks Meg. That was beautiful. I hesitated to post this… is was so silly… but you know…
Guess our souls may meet in fall…
Shanti,
Thanks for sharing. That definitely shows the power meditation has to reframe reality.
-Kyle