For our family, the small, above-ground pool in our backyard was the source of some of our best memories.
So I wasn’t surprised when, during our last visit to our grandsons, my husband leaned on the rail of their above-ground pool and shared some of the games he played with our sons when they were young.
Soon, I noticed him throwing coins into the water, followed by his loud, “Go!”
A race for retrieving the coins began. There was lots of yelling and splashing and arguing over who was first, along with a lot of laughter.
No doubt there will be requests for this simple game every time Pop comes to visit in the summer, just as there were requests by my sons for checkers with their Poppy, or badminton tournaments or long walks for collecting stuff to fill young pockets.
Memories are part of the bonding that holds families together. They can take shape on the most amazing trips together, or in a quiet moment listening to tree frogs in the backyard. The important thing is to catch them and share them.
When we become memory catchers we are helping our children to be firm in their sense of belonging and the knowledge they are secure within the heart of the family. And when they are adults, it is those memories that will be celebrated around the Thanksgiving table, or on Christmas morning, or when they catch certain smells wafting through the air and remember roasting marshmallows over a fire in a garbage can lid in the backyard, or making cookies with grandma, or the scent of someone they love.
Parents, who may one day become grandparents, have the important job of being the memory keepers and making memories a powerful part of the family history. While we have the amazing resource of photos on our phones, there is no substitute for an old-fashioned photo album.
One of my friends has a family photo album for every year, another creates one that covers multiple years of a child’s life and gives it as a gift during the holidays or for a birthday. Another leaves their wedding album out on a table so children and grandchildren can flip through it and ask a dozen questions about a time before they were born.
Roman statesman and philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero, in the first century B.C., explained it beautifully: “Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things.”
The most treasured memories come from moments of love shared. Make some memories today.
Mary Regina Morrell, mother of six and grandmother to nine, is a Catholic journalist, author, and syndicated columnist who has served the dioceses of Metuchen and Trenton, New Jersey, and RENEW International in the areas of catechesis and communication.
Have you tried Our Family Devotions?
Build new memories by celebrating or learning the many ways people of different cultures express the Catholic faith in their churches, neighborhoods, and homes. As the Good News of Jesus spread around the world, people in every culture found special ways to express their faith in God. Through the ritual words and gestures of popular devotions, Catholics show their love for God and devotion to Mary and the saints.
Some popular devotions begin with a message that is given to a person and then shared with others. Many traditions grow from the blending of the Catholic faith with a cultural celebration. Although the prayers and rituals may be adapted to meet the spiritual needs of culture, all popular devotions are intended to help people recognize God’s love for them and grow in their love for God.
It is our prayer that through this book your family will experience God in new ways in your everyday lives. May the diverse and rich traditions of families and the Church from around the world lead you to find new ways of living out your faith. May the beauty of these devotions remind us that we are one family in Jesus Christ, sharing God’s love in our homes, churches, and communities.