What is your favorite memory?

What is your favorite memory?

We all have them.  Favorite memories. Certain times of our life that we look back on that bring us joy.  Moments that live rent free in our heads.  They can lift us up when we are feeling down, or make good days even better.  It is hard for me to have one favorite memory.  Mine are a culmination of being raised on Lake Martin.  If you are reading this, it means you are probably familiar with the area.  It is the most beautiful lake in the world…I maybe a bit biased as I did grow up there.  But I have heard others say the same.  I have brought many friends and family there over the years, and all have become just as smitten as I am.  So much so that they continue to go back to vacation and some are buying land for future retirement.  Yes it is THAT good.  But I digress.  My favorite memories are of growing up there.  It was a little piece of heaven.  Never ending summer days floating aimlessly for hours on a float in front of the house.  Paddling for five minutes to get to the perfect spot, only to have the waves push me back down into our little slough…and then do it all over again.  For hours.  Summer after summer.  Friends always coming over.  I taught, and succeeded with most (minus one actually) how to ski.  My best friend at the time never could quite get the hang of it.  And after swallowing half the lake for a good two hours, we tossed her and the skis in the boat and decided her lake days were best spent “cruising” from the safety inside the boat.  Speaking of cruising…so many days and nights spent cruising the lake.  Either trolling for fish, hanging with family, or riding around with friends.  Saturdays waking up early to a beautiful, hot, sunny day, on the boat by 8 am, returning around 8 pm tired, sunburned and ready to do it all again Sunday morning.  The smell of fish off of the pier during late summer evenings.  Watching the spiders re-weave their webs under the deck that we had destroyed during the day while swimming.  Some of my very favorite memories  that hold an incredibly  special place in my heart…skiing after my dad would get home from work.  At 5:30 I would be standing at the door with boat keys in hand.  We would take off.  This is about the time that summer starts to move into fall, and while it was still warm, all of the vacationers had left to go to other homes. I always felt so sad for them that they had to leave, while at the same time so happy that this was my home and I got to stay.   The water would be like glass.  Not a ripple or wave.  It was heaven.  I would ski until the sun went down.  Just me, the water, and sunsets.  I will never forget those days.  Why do I share this with you?  Because when  I speak with students at schools or in small groups, I always ask them “What is your favorite memory?”   I then ask them to share.  Now the sharing with groups usually stops around 8th grade…which I always respect.  But I can say that in the 8 years of asking this question, NO ONE has ever started the story of their favorite memory with “When I had my phone….”  Or “When I had my computer…”. Their memories ALWAYS start with who they were with.  Someone they love and enjoy spending time with.  And then what they were doing.  No phones.  No computers.  And THIS is how we are meant to be.  It is how we are made.  For face to face connections.  Together.  Sharing space, time and creating memories.  Sometimes they just have to be reminded, that while they THINK the phone is what is going bring them joy, their REAL joy comes from spending time with the people they love.  If you will notice, there was not a phone in my favorite memories.  And not because there WEREN’T phones then (thank goodness) but because my happy place, my joy…it came from what I was doing, where I was and most importantly who I was with.  Ask your kids tonight what their favorite memory is. You just might be surprised.  And then tell them why they are so important.  Also, while they are visiting their memories, do the same for yourself.  Allow it to bring you a bit of joy.  Sharing mine with you sure has brought me joy.  What is YOUR favorite memory?