Adventure Day One – Mile Marker Two: Embrace the Moment
July 1, 2008 - Rickey and I have put together an Adventure Day One Survival Guide; seven mile markers that may help you along your journey. In addition “Make a Memory” is an area on the Adventure Day One website to share pictures that represent a memory that stands out as special to you. Pictures were a big part of our emotional strength while in a controlled environment inside the hospital; pictures of our backyard, fall foliage in the Shenandoah, and our loved ones surrounded us while we were locked away – pictures continue to be a way for us to capture a memory not only for us now but also for our families in the future.
Rickey writes: Mile Marker Two: Embrace the Moment – make a memory, for you may never pass this way again.
My memory is not as good as it used to be. Both short term and long term memory escapes me at times. For years I planned outings or special events for my family with only the moment in mind. Now, older and wiser, I realize how important it is to embrace the moment, make a memory - for myself and those I love. We plan summer vacations with the granddaughters and each day has an event that will help make a memory. We plan holidays, birthdays and family visits not just for the moment, but for the residuals there will be when we all look back. We savor each moment knowing we may not get another chance to do this again. We want to leave a memory with those we love and ourselves, which will carry on long after we leave this earth. We truly stay alive in the memories of loved ones long after we are gone. Embrace the moment; make a memory, for we may never get a second chance
ANNUAL SUMMER ADVENTURE - 2008
This adventure truly began last summer when our granddaughters Amanda (aka Nikki) and Emily (aka Mikki) decided that the 2007 summer trip warranted a return visit in 2008. The trip has been in the works ever since. Make a memory, not by “happenstance” but by design. I learned through the deaths of my father and mother at my relatively early ages of 18 and 24, respectively, that people live on in the memory of loved ones. They are never too far away. My memories aren’t as numerous or as clear as they once were, but they do live on.
I want to live on long after I’m gone. I realized this when my death seemed so imminent. I began building memories for loved ones to hold on to. Not that we didn’t make our share of “happenstance” memories, but I wanted memories to have special meaning and a life’s lesson.
This year, like last year, the adventure is a huge bonanza; camping, go carting, crafts beaucoup, Hershey Park, dinners out, movies, all sorts of main attractions. It will also contain walks in the Butterfly Garden named after my oldest daughter, Laura. Just built this spring to celebrate life, it was named after Laura, not because she is gone, but because she is still here and knows how to celebrate simple things in life – like watching a butterfly skip from flower to flower. She loves butterflies. We and the grandchildren will catch fireflies, sit by a fire and make smores. We’ll take lots of pictures, laugh a lot, but mostly enjoy each others company. Soon the granddaughters will go home to New Hampshire and southern Virginia with lots of memories, and hopefully, with a little part of me they will keep forever -my chance to live on.
Sometimes memories just happen and sometimes they are engineered. Regardless, embrace the moment, for you are making your own memories and none of us may ever pass this way again
Until our next blog – remember life is an adventure, embrace the journey. You can make a difference one day at a time.
Share your adventure with us!
We as a family want to thank you for your kindness. Because of you and the family my daughter has those kind of memories of her Grandparents, as I do of mine. They are happy , fun and tulipy.
You have made my 12 year old very happy.
Thank You ,
Laura and Chris
Love Ya’ll