Single Special Moments
Special moments in life come every single moment of the day, often we miss them. Life is busy, life is full, things happen and the rush of life passes us by.
I am in my fifties, almost half way to sixty. I feel the pressure of life just as well as the next person. Some days I look at my life and wonder how in the world I did it all when I was in my twenties, thirties and forties. A mom of six, grandma of 8, a wife of a wonderful husband, I lead a very hectic life. I work full time in a job that consumes too many hours of the day. I have poor health and cannot do the things I so wish I could do, but I try.
My children have always been my world and they are most precious to me. I believe God destined me to have the family I was meant to have. Yet I struggle, I juggle and I end up with much guilt every moment of each day. I worry over them and about them each. I wonder if I have given enough, spent enough time with this one or the other and it is a battle I wage constantly.
My biggest fear is that I will let a moment pass me by that might be my “last chance.” I fret over the fact that time is precious and I want to soak up every single precious moment God blesses me with. So when I can, as much as I can, I grab them. Those precious single special moments are mine to claim.
This past weekend was just that for me. For the past several years I have attended an annual yard sale in Columbus with my brother. My second oldest daughter, Suzanne and her two small boys were my companions again this year; this makes their third or maybe fourth time. This year as an extra special treat, my best friend Jackie joined us. For me, this trip down south is not so much about the bargains I will find, but the time I get to spend with my brother and those I love.
It is an adventure for sure. We arrive at my brother’s lovely home the night before to visit and prepare for the bargains the next day. We set out as early as we can with small kids in tow. We walk streets in heat, in rain and against a tidal wave of people in search of that something “special” they cannot live without year after year. We trudge with strollers, canes, swollen and tired feet. We search for treasures that we know will be fun to take home and place in that certain space just waiting for it.
I often come home with stuff I later look at and think; really? However later, when I pass them on a table or glance at them on a wall, or flip through the pages of a well worn book I just had to read, I find it is not the item that enhances my life. What enhances my life if the memory of the find, the hunt and the time, that single, special moment spent with the ones I love.
So this weekend for me was just that, trying to capture that single moment to remember, to hold on to tightly. In a couple of weeks, my daughter, my Suzanne will move across the country to Nevada and begin a new chapter in her life. Our annual hunt for treasures may end. I grabbed this moment knowing that our time is limited.
Although in other’s eyes, it may not have been a perfect weekend. We struggled with my painful legs that had me moving slowly, we struggled with two little ones who were not always patient with our hunt and with the heat. We stumbled along paths and through crowds that would turn others away, yet we trudged onward. I pushed myself, not willing to give up, not wanting the day to end. Reluctantly I gave up the chase.
The little guys had enough and so did Suzanne, Jackie and I were okay to finally call it quits, for we knew where the true value of the hunt lie. We rested a bit and waited for my parents who arrived a couple of hours later for dinner. As we sat around a long table at a “Fifties” diner, I surveyed those in attendance and missed those of us who for one reason or another could not join us.
Flashes went off as I snapped one photo after another trying to capture images for memory pages later. My dad’s health is failing so time is truly precious to me. I watch my mom’s smiling face and just wish to still this moment and chat awhile longer. I want to hold tightly to those I love so dearly and not let them go.
We chatted, dined, and with sorrow hugged each other as we parted. Another full evening of “deck” sitting at my brother Mike’s awaited. Back at his home, we showered to get the city dust off and gathered together out on his large deck where we shared my famous sausage balls. I sat back as the sun set, viewing the candle light and bonfire reflecting off sweet faces. I rocked little Parker sound to sleep as I listened to the chatter and laughter of my good friend Jackie. It was to those sounds that I drifted off to sleep in my chair. The day had been fulfilling, the company sweet. The hunt had not been a success in “things”, but in the people I adore.
Back at home, tired from the talking, walking, driving and whatnot, I loaded up photos to my computer of my weekend. I stopped at the one I am sharing here today and found myself choked up with emotion. My daughters blue eyes shine back to me and her grandpa’s smile lit up my heart. My daughter is soon off to the Wild West like a pioneer of old seeking her own treasures. My father who is aging and ill struggles to stay with us and keep active in his life.
I see the two loved ones faces and know as I always have, where real treasures lie. It is in my heart, full of love for family, for friends and for our lives. This past weekend’s memories will be stored in the treasure trunk of my mind, in scrapbooks and in my heart.
Teresa Gale
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