Quote of the Week

“Sometimes you will never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory”.

The week after we got married, we went on our Family Honeymoon.

Rob and I had had our “alone time” trip in Sweden, and we knew we wanted to create a great memory for the kids to mark the blending of our families. So, we went to Jamaica.

It was a great family honeymoon, but there were a lot of little glitches. Blending families is not so easy, and it all really started to come to surface on the honeymoon of just how tough it was going to be.

In addition to the “merging” families part,  Gabe in particular had some anxiety issues. He was anxious about the plane, the water, the food and especially his sleep. He couldn’ t deal with not being with us, and was worried about everything. We laugh when we look at pictures from that trip, because he constantly looks like he is about to cry.

But fast forward a short while later and he would talk about Jamaica with such fondness, suggesting that we all go back! Hmmmm,  I thought you hated being away….

This past summer when we surprised the kids with the cruise, Gabe’s reaction was not unexpected: “Really? We are going to sleep on that? On the water? For how long?” He then spent the week enjoying himself, but quietly talking his way though the wave motion, and some of the seasickness he felt. Every time the boat would move, he would clench his fists, and say “Darn boat”. We chuckled. Of course he made it, and seemed to have a good time, but I didn’t think it was his favorite thing.

Until New Years. We went around our dinner table and talked about what we loved most about the year.

Gabe’s thing: The cruise.

Really? Seriously?

The other day he commented that we should take another cruise.

Really? Seriously?

What I have learned about Gabe is he isn’t great in the moment.

I mean, he likes experiences, and likes to do activities and things, but he enjoys everything so much more in hindsight. I call him my “hindsight traveller”.

So, when I saw this quote, I thought of  him.

He often  only truly appreciates the true value of a moment after it has happened and it has become a memory.

So, we need to make sure he experiences “the moments”. Gabe is a kid who needs to be pushed to do things. I have seen it so many times in little things too – from a school trip, to doing a sport, to trying a new activity.  If he is never pushed, he never has the opportunity to create the memory which is so much more powerful for him.

I think we are all like this to a certain extent. I know I am. Sometimes, when I am in “the moment” I actually remind myself to “enjoy the moment” because I will look back on this as one of my best memories. And it usually is. Then I get the pleasure of enjoying the actual moment and enjoying the memory.

And with how quickly life changes, sometimes the most mundane moments can become our greatest memories. So, we need to be careful not to let even the teeny moments sneak by without at least being acknowledged.

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Comments

Quote of the Week — 26 Comments

  1. I think it’s funny to see how differently people can remember the same event. My kids do the same thing where they have great memories of a time I thought they were miserable. It’s great that you can go back and talk about it with them!
    (Stopping by from SITS)

  2. Oh my Gosh, YES. This is definitely 100% my little one. She genuinely did not enjoy Disney while we were there (we have plenty of crying photos to prove it), despite the fact that it was her life’s wish to go. Now, she asks daily when we are going back! 😉

  3. What a sweet story about your boy. Thanks for sharing it. It’s beautiful how well you know him. And the lesson you took from this is one we could all use, I’m sure. Enjoy the now. I’m working on that.

    Popped by from SITS. Have a lovely day.

  4. Visiting from SITS. So true and a good reminder to be in the moment. I know my boy surprise me often with memories they hold on to, and more often then not they are not big things but small moments

  5. You are so right about mundane moments sometimes becoming our best memories. Every now and again I take inventory of my life and laugh uncontrollably at some of what seemed like the worst moments ever. They turned out to be great memories. Happy SITS Day! Andrea @ be-quoted.com

  6. I am constantly reminding myself of this, as well. Especially during big stressful life events, like when I was pregnant (oh my feet hurt!) and when I was wedding planning (why can’t the cake lady get a simple sketch right?!). But now I look back on those times in my life and I can hardly remember the qualms, only the fun memories like feeling my son kick my hand on my belly or the late-night DIY parties with my bridesmaids. Great post!

    • I try to remind myself that right now I am living the moments I am going to look fondly back on in the future. It helps me enjoy them more now!

  7. This was a great read! thank you for sharing 🙂 I think I am like Gabe sometimes. I am not a very good traveler so I especially loved this!

    Happy SITS day!

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