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Dear Readers,
I know this may sound a little strange coming from
me, but last week I heard a bit of good advice on
the radio in the form of a Harley Davidson
commercial. The words struck me as very meaningful.
“Life is short. What stories will you tell?”
I realize the commercial was talking about how much
fun you can have riding a motorcycle. There are many
good times to be found on the back of a Harley, or
least that is what I have heard. I am not one to
ride a motorcycle, although I certainly love riding
in a convertible. I have, however, seen many people
my age riding on a Harley. It amazes me sometimes
what some of us do for fun; it seems our hobbies can
be the opposite of our regular activities. Perhaps
this says something about us all.
I may not ride a Harley, but I do strongly believe
that we should live life to the fullest and look for
joy in every thing we do. There is beauty to be
found in even the most ordinary activity.
My children are no longer babies and I have spent
many, many years as a mother. At times, it seems
like my life as a mom has flown by at a very fast
pace. You often hear older people say that life
moves faster the older you get and I believe this is
true. Even though I am certainly NOT what people
call “old.” When I look back at my diaper years they
seem so short, but at that time, they seemed
endless. Now, I wish I had more stories to tell.
After all, when children grow up, your memories are
what you have achieved. I do have many, many
wonderful memories.
If I could do it over (raising children that is), I
would play with my children more. I would spend less
time on a perfect house and extra clean laundry. I
would go to the park and play more board games. When
my children ask me for advice for their own
parenting days, I will tell them to start more
family traditions, spend more time playing and tell
more stories about their own childhood to their
children.
There is a wonderful memory to be made in the
falling leaves, in the drift of new snow or in the
bubbles created when you wash dishes by hand. You
can create a memory shopping for your holiday dinner
and simply talking about the food your own family
cooked and ate for the holidays each year when you
were growing up.
One of my all time favorite things to do is to watch
the sunset and to take pictures of the good ones. I
have a huge file of great sunset photos. A few
months ago, after my youngest child had gone back to
college, she called me one evening. We were having a
normal chat – mom and daughter type of thing. Then
Brittany stopped and said, “Mom, you won’t believe
the sunset tonight. It is beautiful. I wish you were
here.” I was so touched that she remembered my
passion for sunsets that a tear actually came to my
eye. I was so happy that she found pleasure in
nature’s good night show.
Not too long after that evening, my oldest daughter
called me early one morning. We were having another
typical mom- daughter conversation when she also
said, “Mom, you should have seen the great sunset we
had last night. You would have loved it. I wish you
had been here.” Again, I was really touched.
Sometimes our kids surprise us with what they
remember and what becomes important in their memory
book of life. It is never too late to tell the
stories you have written in your life so that your
children can enjoy your life passions. Most
certainly there is no better time than the present
to create those stories to tell. I think I will work
on creating a few more of those stories with my
wonderful children.
‘Til January and 2006, Happy Parenting!
Brenda
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