Make the Memories Good {Mantra 16}
We were packed. The trip was just hours away. But storm clouds were on the horizon.
Should we go anyway?
I know that experiences create memories. And I wanted to create memories.
But I didn’t want to create bad memories.
Maybe whether we went on this particular trip or not, creating good memories together was the underlying goal.
And I wanted to:
Make the memories good.
Not all our memories are going to be good ones, of course.
We all have faults and we live with people who have faults. We take those faults with us wherever we go. We dump them out on each other from time to time. Our world dumps its faults on us, too.
We aren’t in control of every circumstance or person. If we believe God gives each of us free will, while God cares about every detail, God doesn’t micromanage every circumstance or person. (Otherwise, the world would be overflowing with complete goodness and love.)
Bad experiences make bad memories.
We don’t have to like them. Or understand them. Even if sometimes bad memories become useful tools later down the road.
But as we live in this moment we’re in, at this time and place, we can ask God to help us make this day good, make this moment filled with love, as much as it depends on us.
Because today’s experiences become tomorrow’s memories.
We did end up taking the trip. And the weather was good this time.
So were the memories this time.
Make the memories good.
You are on Day #16 of the series: Find Your Mantra {28 Daily Mantras}
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“Oh, well. So what?” {Mantra 15}
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“Don’t believe everything you think” {Mantra 17}
We all hope to have good memories of our experiences. May we be blessed more with the good than the bad!
Your post reminded me of the time we went away for a long weekend. We rented a house, towed our boat, went to the lake, and … a hurricane came! Seriously. We never took the boat off the trailer that weekend. But we had front row seats and viewed the spectacular weather over the lake and mountains like we had never before seen. Our kids were young and none of us have ever forgotten the weekend as we truly had the best time. We always laugh when we start the conversation with, “Remember the time …” because we all do remember!
This reminds me of a long-ago memory. My daughter and I had traveled to visit another family member and things weren’t going well and as planned. We woke up one morning in the guest house and I looked over at her and said, “Another day in paradise!” We laughed until we cried. That is the memory we took away from a not-so-good memory-making trip!!!
Oddly enough, some of my best memories of family vacations involve bad things (not horrible, just bad) happening. The backpacking trip where it poured buckets all weekend. That time Pedro and I hit the wall (look it up—it’s also called bonking) while mountain biking. A little adversity seems to reveal our character to each other, and it’s fun to see how people handle it. But maybe my fond memories of bad things are just my way of making the memories good ?.
When our children were young, we tried to do little day trips to museums or botanical gardens for a special outing. The pictures bring fond memories.
Lisa, I read your opening and my past weekend’s trip flashed in my mind. I drove our youngest into a different state to check out a university. Snow was predicted, but not much. We got on the road and it was only a few minutes before we were in heavy traffic and low visibility. And our 3 1/2 hour drive turned into five as I white-knuckled us to our hotel. The good memory came in watching him begin to see the possibilities of this university and even be glad we went up there. Good memories indeed, in spite of the “facing my fear” drive. 🙂
Making the best of a bad situation can teach us so much about ourselves.