Memories

It is amazing what boys can do with a few nails, some boards, and a lot of imagination. My backyard now boasts of two forts, and piles of ammunition. To another's eye, it may look like a pile of dilapidated rubble, but to four little boys, it is Fort Sumter. There, the brave armies of the Patriots, and the Yankees are battling it out for victory. I know, some of you may be wondering about the armies. Different time periods, and all. The boys couldn't decide which army to be, and no one wanted to be the Confederates, so they compromised. The battle raged on until the general (also known as Dad) called a cease fire, and peace was achieved so school could start. It's going to be interesting to see what the state of world peace will be when I get home. I love watching my boys play, especially when they're all playing together. It reminds me of Christy and I when we were little. We would play for hours on end with our dolls and Barbie dolls. The best friend you can ever have is a sibling, because you never lose touch with them. Some of my fondest memories are of us playing, and on rare occasion, Rachel would even join in. I had a wonderful childhood, and want the same thing for my boys. We were surrounded by love, and imagination. Christy and I traveled the world over, and had all kinds of adventures while we played. If I remember correctly, we were mothers of at least 15 or 16 children; whom we raised all by ourselves. Our children came from all sorts of different races and species. I think we had some teddy bear children, a monkey or two, and a lovely chipmunk named Alvin. We had birthdays for them, but they never grew any older. Life was wonderful. Too bad life wasn't like that in the real world. There is a saying, painted on the wall at work that says "Live in the moment, and make memories too beautiful to be forgotten." I have tried to do that in my own life, especially here lately, because I see how fast my babies are growing up. We can not stop the aging process, nor slow it down. We have to make an intentional effort to live in the moment, and capture those memories. Just about every lady I take care of work speaks of their childhood, recalling those memories clearest. It puts life in perspective, and makes you stop and think about what's really important; dirty dishes, or a hug from your kids. My advice today: Go out and add one more golden memory, then store it away to treasure forever.