Meaningful Moments
By Benjamin Siens
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched as my daughter danced and played around our living room and thought, “What would I give 20 years from now to come back and relive this moment? What would I give to hold her? What would I give to tickle her? What would I give to dance with her?” Moments like these are so special, but they are fleeting; they’re so short. My daughter is now two, but I remember when she couldn’t even hold her head up. It seems like yesterday. I’m sure many of you reading this, whose children are grown, are wondering, “Where has the time gone?”
We could all probably identify with the Apostle James when he said, “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14 KJV). It’s there for a moment, and then it’s gone. If you and I are going to make any kind of lasting impact in the lives of our children and come to the end of our lives without regret, we must make the most of these fleeting moments—on purpose. Here are just a few tips to help you be more present in these day-to-day moments.
Put down the iPhone.
“I, for one, do not want my daughter’s memories of me to be a face aglow with digital light.”
Perhaps one of the greatest slayers of time in history is the smartphone. So much entertainment is so readily accessible. Social media is addictive, and that is widely known. Generations of kids are growing up with parents drunk on entertainment, and the effects are not yet entirely known. I, for one, do not want my daughter’s memories of me to be a face aglow with digital light. I want her memories of me to be those of a daddy who played with her, of a daddy who talked to her, and of a daddy who taught her and worked with her. Those things will not happen if my face is forever buried in a screen.
Be present.
It is so easy in our high-stress world to be mentally preoccupied with the first half of the day during the second half of the day. We may come home; the workday may technically be over. However, deadlines are still looming, nasty emails still come in, a conflict or failure keeps jumping to the forefront of our minds, and the mortgage still has to be paid. If we’re not careful to pause and be present, to take in the moments happening around us, these moments can be missed, or worse, squelched because of a snappy outburst resulting from internal tension. Pause, take a deep breath, and be present.
Make memories on purpose.
Few good things happen on accident, and good memories are no exception. If you don’t purpose to make positive memories with your family, you likely won’t. Schedule a time to go to the park. Dub a specific night of the week “Family Game Night.” Incorporate your family into your daily workouts: go for walks, go for bike rides, go play tennis. Read a Bible story before bedtime. There is no shortage of options. The point is simple. Make good memories on purpose, or you likely won’t have any good memories.