As I age and watch my children grow, I find myself trying to capture more moments in my mind. The pace of our lives moves quickly most days, but I am trying to savor the moments that mean the most to me. We can get caught flying through our days, rushing from one thing to another, filling our days with task after task, but rarely do we look around to capture important moments.
My wife and I recently visited our daughter Sophie at her college – Otterbein University, outside Columbus, Ohio. This is her freshman year, and she has so far had a great experience with new friends, classes, and the dreaded new boyfriend (actually, he’s really okay.) We have stayed in close contact and are thrilled with how happy she is. During our visit, we watched her compete in her first event for the school’s equestrian team. As always, when my children compete in anything, I am a nervous wreck. The seven-school competition was a long, drawn out affair, but Sophie was simply fantastic, earning a 2nd place ribbon for her team as a freshman. After her ride, my wife and I went to congratulate her. She was beaming with pride.
As the competition wound down and my wife and I prepared to head back home, I hugged my daughter and told her how proud I was of her. She said, “Dad, this place is perfect”. Just by typing that, I am almost brought to tears. Now that is a moment to cherish for a parent. That is a memory I want etched in my brain. It made me think of the other moments I want to ensure I remember. Here are just a few:
- Seeing my wife in the morning as I hand her the first cup of coffee
- Seeing my children laugh together
- Hearing the birds singing early in the morning
- Watching my dog flop down, wanting his belly rubbed
- Seeing the morning glories open up to start each day
What are the things you want to remember? What are your moments?
I know at Beyond Housing, we create moments for those we serve. They include:
- Being there when a new homeowner receives their keys at the closing that we helped make happen
- Telling a family in need of housing that we will rent to them
- Telling a parent with a child entering kindergarten that he or she will get a $500 college savings account
- Seeing the look on the faces of community members when they come to the 24:1 Cinema for the first time
- Feeling the appreciation when we and our partners are able to give families gifts for the holidays
Just like in my own life, there are many more moments to be remembered as a result of the kind of work we do. I want to ask each of you to make sure you truly remember those important moments, and know your support of our efforts make moments happen for those that we serve.
Happy Thanksgiving!
