It was only seven miles down the road but to our youngest, it was the “coolest place ever”. Recently, our family was invited to a friends house for a day of swimming, eating, and fireworks. It was such a fun day filled with lots of memory making moments. Little kids and big “kids” alike spent the day playing volleyball, cornhole, and swimming in our friend’s pond. Some brave souls including our 13 yr old were even jumping off a high diving platform doing dives and flips into the water. Then there were a few crazy kids like our son who dared to climb up on the “BLOB” and wait for someone to catapult him high up in the air and into the pond below. They even had homemade ice cream you could help churn (and then eat of course) before settling down to a great fireworks show. It was such a fun day with lots of new experiences and memories made.
Reflecting Back
When we reflect back on our childhood, often times, some of the best memories we have come from holidays and vacations spent with family and friends. The value and importance of those fun times and special memories can not be denied. It’s easier living out the day to day grind when we can reflect back and remember those special times of the past. We strive to recreate that good feeling again and again by dreaming about and planning for future trips and get togethers.
A Book Full of Memories
Take vacations for example. The experiences, adventures, sights, and even mishaps can turn an average week into an incredible book of memories. Traveling to different places and getting out of the normal routine help these experiences become more deeply entrenched memories. These memories are like having game film to go back to and review over and over again. (And if you’re anything like my wife, it usually involves lots and lots of pictures just in case she forgets.) These new and different experiences help us cling to what is good and inspire us to create more positive memories for the future. We start to see these special times as valuable and crave them even more. As parents, we can often get wrapped up in the busyness of life and lose sight of the value of new experiences and spending time together. Vacations, family celebrations, and summer fun give us opportunities to create new memories that give us hope for the future.
Not on the Itinerary
If we’re being totally honest, however, many of our best memories have come from things NOT on the itinerary. They were things that we didn’t intentionally plan for or think about. You know things like getting caught in a rain shower while hiking on a trail. A sudden rainstorm wasn’t in the plan, but the memory of that day is definitely etched in our minds as we all jumped and splashed in the mud puddles like little kids. Or how about going camping and waking up to a family of raccoons eating our morning breakfast. Our little visitors were NOT on the agenda that weekend, but it definitely made that year’s camping trip quite a memorable one. I’ll never forget the constant belly laughs coming from our children as they got knocked over by the ocean waves over and over again. It’s like they couldn’t get enough.
Plant the Seeds
We can’t always plan when they’ll happen, but we can plant the seeds. You know, provide opportunities for memories to be made. When was the last time you took a break from the routine? When was the last time you lived in the moment with family and friends and enjoyed what God has blessed you with? This is where the fun and memories are made.
Time to Rethink
If you have brushed off the importance of taking a vacation or doing something different with your family, maybe it’s time to rethink it. You and your children will never have a shortage of difficult times in life. One of the best ways we can drive through challenging times is to be able to reflect on the good memories of the past. Don’t let another season go by without adding a little more JOY to your family. Go out and make some memories!