The total solar eclipse, seen from Tupper Lake on Monday. (Enterprise photo —Aaron Marbone)

There’s a concept circulating around social media — particularly among groups of young parents — that points to some key moments in our lives as “core memories.”

Core memories are experiences that are particularly salient — experiences that help shape our view of the world around us. This concept gained popularity after the release of the 2015 Pixar film “Inside Out,” which features an 11-year-old girl and five of her personified emotions. The movie shows the child’s five most important “core memories” in the form of five islands. While the concept of “core memories” is largely made up and not wholly true to the science behind memories, there’s something about the idea behind it — that there are some memories that prove to be more valuable, crucial or pivotal than others — that rings true.

If there were such a thing as “core memories,” we imagine that many were made on Monday, the day of the total solar eclipse.

Let’s be honest: In the Tri-Lakes, we are no stranger to events that are heavily promoted and that ultimately under-deliver in terms of tourism draw and memorability. In this case, the eclipse did draw thousands of people to the Adirondacks, and we think that it was every bit as memorable as described by those who’d experienced the 2017 partial solar eclipse in the path of totality.

This region welcomed visitors from across New York state and the Northeast but also countless people from across the world. Seeing this once-in-a-generation eclipse over our region was thrilling, awe-inspiring and almost dreamlike in a variety of ways, but our favorite part of this event was seeing this region anew through the fresh eyes of first-time visitors and experiencing togetherness and warmth among friends and strangers alike in a way that now feels so rare.

The eclipse was another reminder of what’s really important in life: Community, togetherness and, of course, making core memories that will last.