As a family we’ve been watching home videos the last week. We got rid of our cable, so we pulled out our home videos to have something to watch together.
We’ve been laughing our heads off.
From Tyler at 2 years old on the potty screaming, “MAMA, Ka-Ka!” as he proudly points to his new contribution in the toilet, to Brendon bouncing around the living room at age 6 saying he wants underwear for Christmas. He continues on to say he wants a pool table from Santa. I reply back telling him he can’t have a pool table until we have the new house. The crazy thing is, we had no idea when or how we were going to get a new house. But I had hope for one. Chad and I both smiled as we listened and watched knowing, God gave us that new house and pool table a year later.
As we’ve watched our videos we’ve not only smiled and laughed, we’ve had moments that caught us off guard and left us quiet. When we put in a video of Chad’s birthday and there was Aunt Erin’s smiling face staring back at us, it was heartbreaking, and there was the pain all over again of how much we miss her.
As we’ve watched stringing lights on the tree, bringing Zeusy-Poosy home for Brendon on Christmas, Thanksgiving dinners, the boys first days of school, and even stupid arguments caught on tape; I realized with each memory I watched, I wouldn’t give these tapes up for no amount of money in the world. These tapes, our memories, are the most priceless treasures we own.
Life takes so much from us at times. Life is hard. I get discouraged when we can’t pay the bills, can’t take our kids on vacations, can’t afford so many things we want and need.
But when I see those toothless smiles and outstretched arms staring back at me, I realize I have everything I need and everything that truly matters in this life, right now. At the end of the day and the end of our lives, all we can take and leave is our memories. And no person or thing can take that from us. Not disease, not death, nothing.
So I am asking God today to help me to be grateful. To be in the moment. To not say to myself, I’ll be happy or content when we can pay this bill, or go there, or buy that. I want to laugh and play with my kids and make new memories now. I don’t want to wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow may never come.
I’m thanking God today for my memories, my family and my friends. And for reminding me once again, these are the greatest gifts and treasures I will ever own.
