Special memories

This article on the Focus on the Family website reminded me of a story my tax agent's wife told me one day.

Do you ever wonder what memories your children will treasure when they become adults? Down the road, you may be surprised by what they recall.

Picture this scene: It is your daughter's 10th birthday. You want to make her party extra special. After all, she has told you every day for the past month that she is finally in the double digits and "no longer a child." You have plotted a surprise birthday party for weeks. You've invited her friends, bought snacks, hung pink and purple streamers, blown up balloons, spent hours meticulously decorating the cake and hired Sparkles the Clown. The guests arrive, and the party is a huge success.

Years later, as the two of you swap your favorite memories, your daughter mentions her 10th birthday. You assume she will rave about the beautiful cake and Sparkles' funny balloon animals, but instead she recalls how much fun it was to ride in the van with you to pick up doughnuts for breakfast. Not only were doughnuts a special treat, but the one-on-one time she had with you was also priceless. You sit dumbfounded and wonder what other simple memories she holds dear that you do not even remember.

We were idly chatting about the drizzling rain one day, when Mrs M told me what she and Mr M used to do when living in a small house with kids getting under their feet on a miserable day. She and Mr M would get them decked out in their wet weather gear, and take them out for a walk in the rain.

Years later the kids told her that these walks were one of the special times of their childhood. What Mr and Mrs M did in desperation was something to treasure!