Memories

Yesterday I visited my parents and was handed a rather large box of photos. The photos were all of me or my own family-Lavoy, Jordan, Kelli and Craig. I looked through the pictures and couldn't help but smile at the multitude of pictures of Jordan, Kelli and Craig when they were five years old and younger and Lavoy when he was still strawberry blond and I was thinner and less wrinkled. Some of the baby pictures tested my memory of which child was in the photo. When I had my baby in my arms and photos were being taken, I thought I would never forget this moment. Little did I know that there would be thousands of those moments and I would in fact forget that exact moment. I can remember the general time frame but not the details I so confidently thought I would. Oh I was so young, naive and full of myself. I don't know if I failed to keep clear details of some events because they really weren't all that momentous or if it was because the children were too little to really have a role in the event. It seems that most of the memories I have that are so vivid are the ones where, as a family, we built memories by doing things as a family. The many vacations to Holden Beach, Universal Studios and Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and even those long journeys to Connecticut to see my sister and older brother. Most importantly, the vacations we shared with mine and Lavoy's parents:the beach and Connecticut with my parents and the Grand Canyon and Dollywood with Lavoy's parents. We have pictures of all of those events but most importantly we have the memories. We have the joy of remembering Christmas Eve at Granny and G-daddy's and Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa, lighting sparklers and marching around Grandma and Grandpa's pool for 4th of July, hunting, fishing and riding four wheelers with G-daddy in the country where Granny grew up, Easter egg hunts, graduations, birthday parties and many more celebrations that brought us all together. No-one can take those away from me-even if I don't have a box full of photographs. I have a head and heart filled with the memories and the love that was shared and will continue to be shared. There is no greater gift we can give our children then the memories of family. Family is what makes us who we are so go make memories and take a few photos while you're at it.