Little Memories

The older I get the more I appreciate the simple little memories and moments in life.  As I watch and listen to my oldest son race through the day - always wondering what comes next - I find myself working harder to slow down and set a better example of just living for and enjoying the moment rather than always being so caught up in preparing for what comes next.  As I listen to myself tell Brayden not to worry about what comes next and to appreciate the moment he is living in now, I realize I should heed my own advice. 

Over the weekend my dad and mom picked up apples recently fallen from my grandpa's old apple tree.  Grandpa has been gone for nearly five years now, but little memories of him show up all the time.  As my dad held up the bags of apples he was leaving for my sister and me, I could almost see grandpa milling about in his yard picking up apples from that same tree.  He would spend hours peeling and prepping them to stew, can, freeze or share with friends.  At times, on a warm summer or early fall day he would take a break and sit down under that same tree to take out his pocket knife and make a snack out of one of those apples right then and there. 

Grandpa knew how to enjoy life and to enjoy it at his own pace.  His pace always seemed to be a couple of notches south of slow.  He drove slow.  He walked slow.  He never got in a hurry telling a story.  He worked slowly and meticulously on woodworking and other projects.  His slow pace used to drive me and others crazy.  I realize now, though, he could accomplish more in a day than some of us do racing through the day with dozens of activities and endless 'to do' lists because he was focused and undistracted.  He appreciated life and little moments.  He lived for now rather than always wondering what came next.

I decided to take those apples and make apple pies yesterday as a mid-week surprise for all four of my boys.  As I prepared the apples and made the crust I shared my thoughts with little Kennon who was listening and watching intently in his swing.  I shared with him more stories about his great grandparents and I realized in doing so that my paternal grandmother taught me how to make the pie crust when I was in fifth or sixth grade.  I entered one of those apple pies in a local fall festival and won first prize a few years in a row.  The first pie I ever made my grandpa bought at the pie auction for $50.  He said it was the best pie he had ever eaten.  I never considered how many lessons I learned from just those few little projects. 

I understand now that the compounding interest of little lessons and experiences shared with people we love and respect help each of us grow to understand and appreciate that some of the best things in life are the things we don't even realize are lessons at all until much later.  And, sometimes, the simpler the task the greater the lesson learned.

For now, I am going to work harder to live life a little slower and appreciate each little moment and to help my boys learn this lesson much earlier than I did.  We started by sharing our pie and dancing together in the kitchen after dinner to some of our favorite songs.