Making Memories

So, after all the valentines were done and the kitchen was completely covered in glitter, glue, and stickers, my daughter remained working on one final piece. It was the largest and most elaborate valentine she had created and the level of concentration apparent in her expression could only be matched by my son’s challenges with regularity (something that would be resolved in the car an hour later).

As she finished, she brought the valentine over to me, at which point I inquired, “And who is this one for?”

Expecting her to say Zachary, you can imagine my surprise when she said, “It’s for you, Mommy…you deserve it. Happy Valentine’s Day!” Struck by both the humor and the heart in her statement, I grabbed her and hugged her for a lifetime. I decided that this would be one of those little moments I would love to share with others, but that I also might forget ten years down the road. So, I took the Valentine, turned it over, and wrote down the whole episode on back of the valentine…to be added to her memory box.

Now, as my thoughts are still with young Kaela and her family, I have been thinking of ways to hold on to these times a little better. As Anna Quindlen alluded to in her essay below, these moments pass so quickly, you’ll wish you’d spent more time living in the moment as opposed to thinking about what was next. So, I came up with an idea…

Using a recipe box and index cards, I am making a promise to myself to record these sweet little moments whenever they come my way. More than the pictures they’ll draw or the photos you’ll take, these little conversations are the most precious…and most easily forgotten. I realize there will be a chorus of you who’ll say, “Who has the time for all that?”. Well, if you have the time to retell the story to your mother/sister/husband/friend, you have the two minutes in your day to make sure that moment lasts a lifetime in your memory. Simply write it down and date it.

Just an idea….