Don’t Forget the Good Stuff
Our first newlywed Christmas, we wanted a real tree from a real tree farm. We hiked up the side of that North Carolina mountain looking for the best tree. “That tree is too small. That tree is too large. This tree is juuuuu-st right.” The tree farmer sent it through the machine; tied it up all nice and skinny with twine. Off we went to our teeny tiny apartment. We drug that tree into the corner and cut the twine. The tree literally filled the entire living room. We laughed so hard, we cried. We smooshed the tree until the branches stood straight up against the wall. Our friend came to visit a few days later and was like, “Dude! Nice tree…where’s your living room?”
And there was that REALLY awesome boss that my husband had back when our first baby was born. Unfortunately, I had a difficult labor and when we finally got to bring the baby home from the hospital, we thought he would have to go back to work the next day. His boss volunteered to work for him. He ended up being off work two weeks (with pay)! We locked the door and hid from the world.
There was the time we went to Grady’s Restaurant in Johnson City, TN. (It’s not even there anymore.) We asked for our table around 7:00 pm. They told us it would be a 40-minute wait. Two hours later, they seated us, and we each had a sleeping child in our lap. We couldn’t be mad because it ended up being our first date in a long time.
I will never forget the day we went hiking at Breaks Interstate Park. Blue skies for miles. Four miles, four children, we heard the strangest noise – like rushing water! Hubby grabbed up the littles, I called to the bigs. We took off running. Too late! We were soaked in the sudden down pour of rain. All six of us laughing so hard under the tree.
That is the thing about memories. You do not realize you are making them until you look back. I bet you have an incredible bucket list filled with epic experiences, far-flung adventures, and big hairy goals. But what if at the end of your life, it is not the epic adventures you remember, but the little things? Would that inspire you to live differently today?
I am not saying that the big things are not important. Our dreams and goals give us something to look forward to. Dreams bring purpose and fulfillment to our lives. This is simply your reminder to not overlook the magic of the everyday and the unexpected. Life’s little moments… are life.
Take some time today to just reminisce. Think of all the cool things you have experienced and done. Try to rate the absolute top ten best memories of your life. You might be surprised at what you remember.
Previously published in the Hampton County Guardian and Bluffton Today