Turning Moments to Memories
Life can seem dormant, boring, or just a pain in the neck, but by taking a moment and fully being present we can make whatever we do into a pleasant memory. Each thing we do with the full intention and attention has the potential to become a treasured memory.
As we go through our daily lives we feel depleted, exhausted, and hung up on the never-ending to-do list, but if we take each task separately, like doing the wash, or washing the dishes, into something special then it will stay with us as a happy memory. When we do the washing maybe add some essential oil to the laundry. Then when we carry the washout to the line and hang each item perhaps think about its purpose or how it helps our family. Stop to hear the birds, and feel the breeze mixed with the fragrance of the oils as we hang the wash on the line, and feel the sun on our face, our moment becomes a special memory.
Watching a movie with our kids, laughing with them, really engaging with them is relaxing, for all involved. Picking movies together is fun, having popcorn together is sharing, snuggling on a couch together is fabulous. All together they take a moment of just watching a movie together and turning it into memories the children will remember for an awfully long time. Another moment into a memory.
Baking together is another moment to capture into a memory. Measuring out ingredients, teasing each other with flour, mixing it, and having it spill onto the counter, all lead up to eating the sweet treats together. Time spent with children is precious as they grow so fast. Taking these moments we have with them and sharing something as wonderful as baking allows the children a moment not to just remember a movie but that a loved one sat with the whole time, laughed with them, and will remember this memory for a long, long time. Another moment turned memory.
Changing the sheets is another chore we may dread, but changing it into something fun, changes how we feel about it. Put on some music, dance around from one side of the bed to the other. Get your heart rate up and enjoy the smell of the summer sun on your sheets. Breath deep, let the kids giggle, and jump in as you toss the top sheet in the air to cover the bed, no kids, do not worry your cat or dog will jump in and it will be a memory you carry with you.
Making dinner is a mundane chore and while some of us like to cook, some of us do not. Dinner is another opportunity to turn moments into memories. Even if you are the only one cooking for yourself. Snapping peas, washing carrots, chopping, dicing, mincing, mixing. Let aromas fill you with the promise of your food and the moments you spend taking care of yourself and/or your family, let it be a moment that turns to memory. Make dinner fun. Light some candles, turn off the lights, eat by candlelight on a Tuesday. Take the cooking and turn it into nourishing yourself inside.
Every item we do has a chance to sparkle and shine if we slow down and relish in it. If we do these things with intention, if we are present then we have the potential of making memories for ourselves, our friends, and our family. Take the time to turn your moments into memories. See everything you do as holding the potential to be more than one moment. Let each item be a memory you carry with you always.
