Making Memories
We used to rack our brains for the perfect birthday gift. We would spend time going all over town looking for that one thing the kids didn’t already have. And we would buy things they didn’t necessarily need. Sometimes, we would eventually see that gift again—out of date, out of use, and eventually sent out of the house to be donated.
We couldn’t remember from one year to the next which kid had gotten which gift. We knew we wanted to do gift-giving differently. We still wanted to give the perfect gift but one that somehow would last longer than the latest fad.
We also knew our time was slipping away. We could see how fast our kids were growing up and if there was anything we wanted, it was more time.
Thankfully, we decided to do away with typical tangible gifts and to give experiences instead—the one thing we could do with that one kid.
Over the years our kids have coined these experiences as their “birthday-do-whatevers.” They know that when they open that perfectly wrapped box, they will find tickets to an event chosen just for them. They know the gift will include only them and mom and dad. Most importantly, they know they are getting time.
Our youngest son turned nine in November and we gifted to him tickets to see the Harlem Globetrotters in April. So last week we took him out for his “birthday-do-whatever” where he had an entire evening of our undivided attention (which means a lot when you have four other siblings!).
Sitting there next to him, we watched as he “oohed” and “aahed” over every make, miss, and trick shot. We watched as he held his breath to see how the Globetrotters would pull out yet another win over the Generals. And we watched as he stood in line afterwards to meet the players and get their autographs.
The sweetest part was when we were driving home. He told us thank you over and over again and that he had so much fun. And then he told us he was going to “lock in this memory” so that he would never forget.
We know time goes by fast and we know he won’t be our little nine-year-old boy for long. We can’t freeze time but we can make the most of what we have. Making memories that are locked in, that is the greatest gift!
