Creating Memories that Will Last a
Lifetime
by Jeffrey Mayer
She opened the door, walked into my
office, looked me straight in the eyes, and with a stern, somber tone
of voice said, "The weather's supposed to be nice this weekend
and we're going apple picking. Do you want to come?"
I was completely taken off guard. I
spend so much time at my
desk - even working on weekends - that I hadn't realized summer
had come and gone and fall had arrived.
I thought for a brief moment, and
answered with an enthusiastic
"YES! Let's do it."
A Family Ritual
In our household it's become a family ritual that every September / October
we spend a day in the country going apple picking. It gets us out of
the city and into the country.
So Sunday came around and we all
got up bright and early. Mitzi,
(my wife) made sandwiches for a picnic lunch. My daughter, DeLaine, gathered
books and her Game Boy for the L-O-N-G car ride.
We hopped into the car, and hadn't
gone a block when DeLaine asked "Are we there yet?" To
which Mitzi replied "Not yet honey. It's about a 90 minute drive
and we just left the house."
Then DeLaine announced that she was
hungry and wanted a sandwich. "You just had breakfast and you
can have something to eat a bit later." Mitzi replied. DeLaine
settled down and began playing with her Game Boy.
I find it fascinating to watch
DeLaine do the same things I used to do when I was a kid, asking
"Mommy, are we there yet?" "Mommy,
I'm hungry. Can I have a sandwich." And we've only been in the car
for 90 seconds.
Is it in the genes, or is it just
being a kid?
At The Orchard
In no time at all we were at the orchard - about 60 miles from Chicago -
picking apples. We went from tree to tree searching for the "perfect"
one. Perfect in shape, size, color - without any bruises or blemishes.
The best ones were always at the
very top of the tree. And with the help of an apple-picking pole we
found 30 pounds worth.
This was a day to be with your
family. We were surrounded by teenagers and college kids on dates,
families with newborn babies in strollers, and kids in trees.
Everybody was having fun. They were
laughing, singing, throwing
footballs, and picnicking. Some were speaking languages I had
never heard before.
After the apple picking there was a
hay ride, a walk thru the corn maze, and an hour spent at the petting
zoo, where DeLaine fell in love with a rabbit. (We've already got
one. We don't need two.)
What Memories Are Made Of
That evening, as I was tucking DeLaine into bed she looked up and said: "Daddy,
I sure had fun picking apples today." And as Mitzi was falling asleep
she said: "Thanks for going apple picking with us."
This is what life's all about.
We work hard each and every day.
But need to remember that we're doing it for our family, friends, and
ourselves. There aren't that many opportunities to share a fun day
together - away from the computer, cell phone, and PalmPilot.
So block out some time on your
calendar and enjoy this beautiful autumn. Create some memories that
will last a lifetime
"Reprinted with permission
from "Jeffrey Mayer's SucceedingInBusiness.com Newsletter.
(Copyright, 2003, Jeffrey J. Mayer, SucceedingInBusiness.com.) To
subscribe to Jeff's free newsletter, visit http://www.SucceedingInBusiness.com."
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Each day is a new day
By: Abraham J. Twerski, M.D.
There is probably nothing as destructive to a marriage, or for that matter, to all family relationships, as allowing oneself to become bored with other family members. People who are thrill- seekers and who find their relationship to have become routine may think that another relationship will provide the excitement they seek.
I don't like to inject a note of sadness, but sometimes we do not value something unless we realize we may lose it. Each day we have our parents, spouse, siblings, and children should be a new day. They are a gift to us today.
Each Day Is a New Day
What's
in a good soup? Love, laughter, good friends!
Entree
HomeMade
