Not too long ago, a memory popped up on my Facebook page. It was from seven years ago when my son was in high school and I took him back to school shopping. The post was about how much I enjoyed our time together.
There is a lot of research and science about memories, how they are made and sadly, how they are lost, especially with the increase in life expectancy and a rise in dementia related conditions.
But that isn’t what this post is about.
I’ve always enjoyed having one-on-one time with each of my children. I wanted them to know when we were together, all of my focus was on them and our time. So, when that memory popped up on my Facebook feed, although I could not recall anything specific about the day, what I do remember is how I felt. I’m sure we laughed. A lot. And probably, knowing my son, it was at my expense.
I hope to pass on to both of my children the importance of making memories. It’s not only the specifics of the activity or the details of the time spent that is important. Maybe what is more important is how the memories make them, and others, feel. We should all have the opportunity to spend time with someone that the memories that stay with us make us feel happy, important, safe and loved.
I think Maya Angelou said it best in her well-known quote “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
I will be forever grateful for those kinds of memories.
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