If you’re in the middle of raising a family and your home is filled with noise, laughter, chaos, and busyness, then you know that there are a lot of opportunities within your four walls for many memories to be made.
There’s always a birthday to be celebrated, vacations to take, sporting events to go to, and even special days like the day a child comes to know Jesus or gets baptized. Happenings are going on all around us during these years.
My Favorite Memories
One of my favorite memories growing up was spending a lot of time at the beach. I would go on walks with my mom, and we would hunt for shells for hours. On more than one occasion she made me drag a large piece of driftwood back that she thought would make the perfect lamp one day. Spoiler alert: No lamp was ever made.
Then when I grew up and had a family of my own I started making memories with my own kids. We often would take trips to the library and trips to feed ducks at the lake. We would make totally NON Pinterest-worthy crafts, and even enjoy some of those same shell hunts on the beach.
I remember fondly so many of those times in my life and with my kids. While those memories are etched in my mind, likely forever, I’m not so sure that would be the case if those were events of today. Instead of cherished memories, they would likely become Instagram-worthy moments, Facebook posts, or vlogs of some sort instead.
Creating Memories Now
Perhaps it’s time to think about how much all those pictures and poses are stealing from us. For instance, did you know that there is something our brains do that is called “offloading”? What that means is while in the days of old, our brains would be storing those priceless memories, but now, we have offloaded that storage job to an outsider—our phones. Essentially, instead of storing those precious memories in your own memory bank, your brain now freely lets them go to be stored in your phone.
If you’re like me, you’ll find that very sad, especially if you’re a mom or dad who doesn’t want to miss one moment with your kids. I want to cherish those times with family, not give them away to a piece of technology… and I’m hoping you do too.
We suggest that if you want to create family memories to reallyremember, that you choose to put down your phone more. Sure, take those special pics, but there’s no need to capture every single moment or event on your phone. In fact, if it’s something really special, do yourself and your brain a favor, and DON’T snap the pic. Let the moment live on in your heart and mind instead of in your iCloud.
Okay, what are you waiting for? Get off here and go make some memories!
This article was reposted and used with permission from Expedition Marriage.
Want to create some amazing memories with your spouse? Check out the 2023 Intimacy and Adventure Retreat in beautiful St George Utah! Only $1,999.99 per couple! Just click on the picture below to learn more!
