The Making of Memories

Not too long ago as I was driving my daughter and a few of her friends to the movies, I began to think about the memories that she will carry with her through her life. In the back seat, their chatter hung in the air like weightless clouds, one brief conversation spilled into another, and their excitement at life's possibilities of the next few minutes grew.

I have tried (and with great success) to build a cache of amusing and tender moments that she (and I) can look back on that will one day bring bursts of laughter and tears of joy. To know that a life has been filled with as much joy that any human can fill it with is a gift as great as any prized possession. To intentionally take away simple joys and pleasures such as those that may be experienced by a child is truly an act that will earn that person a direct ticket to Hell. As forgiving as our God is, there are also acts that are shameful in His sight. My daughter, whether knowingly or not, shares the delights of her youth with me. As wonderful as it is, it would have been nice to have my own.

My elderly neighbor who just passed away used to always tell me there was no point in denying yourself anything in life. Use the good china, take the exotic trips, love now in the moment. You will reach that point in your life where you have been relegated to the armchair, your only vehicle. It is then that you can reach back into those memories and remember a time when there were no limits to what you could do.

I am building those glorious memories for us. One day her children will giggle at these stories, their eyes sparkling and chubby little hands clasped gingerly over their mouths.

Another memory in the making.