“But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren. Deuteronomy 4:9
Funny how things come to us from our past- sometimes in the most unexpected ways. As I was munching the other evening on crackers and salami (yes, I know, not so nutritious), I flashed back to sitting in the kitchen, with my dad, eating saltines, topped with bologna and a dab of mustard. We called it “poor man’s hors d’oevres”. I would listen to Cincinnati Reds baseball games on the radio with him, and sometimes we would score the game. That is, we would keep track of every at-bat, every out, every score in the game.
This flashed back with absolute clarity to me, and I am guessing I was 11 or 12 years old when we did that. This time together did not happen often, because the games usually started at 8:05 PM, and they would last until 10:30 PM or so. This was a rare occurrence because my dad had to wake up at 3 or 4AM to go to work in the bakery. Usually, he was long ago in bed when the games were being completed.
I write this because I am pretty sure that dad was not aware that he was helping to imprint on me a memory that has lasted for 60 some years. Yes, we as parents do leave indelible marks on our kids. Hopefully, there are great experiences and fond memories that are left as legacies. As the saying goes, “more is caught than taught”. Ordinary encounters can have way more meaning than we think.
The memory I shared above was not an exceptional experience. It is a fond memory, but it was a very ordinary thing. Yet look how I recall it! So, I guess the moral of the story is this- hanging out with kids and grandkids, even doing very mundane stuff, can be building memories that last a lifetime.
Happy 4th of July to my American readers. Enjoy the day, and build some memories.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the legacies left to us. Help us to pass them on to new generations, Amen
Reflections of a Counselor 