Truth Bombs From Finn
Do you have a favorite meme? Is that even a thing? Can we have favorite memes like we have favorite albums or favorite movies? I'm making an executive decision by ruling that, yes, we can have a favorite meme. Ok, now that I've solidified that, I have a favorite meme.
It's a picture of Yoda that reads, "Once I became a parent, I understood the scene where Yoda gets so tired of answering Luke's questions that he just dies." So funny! I laugh at this every time I see it......I'm laughing as we speak.
Last night, I took the boys to watch one of my Christian rapper friends put on a local show. We had an absolute blast and the kids' eyes were opened to an entirely new art form. As we were leaving the event, I heard a very common phrase, "Hey Dad?" It was only the 3,342nd time I heard that phrase on that day.
"What's up, Finn?"
"You know all the times we spend together and the rides we take?
"Yeah, bud!"
"I have all those memories in my head and can dream about them any time I want. I could even think about them right now if I wanted."
I was floored! When I approached a stop sign, I whipped my phone out and hastily wrote down his quote. Wow! If you consume my content, you probably know I think/talk a lot about investing in memories. It's a constant theme in my value system and my coaching.
But out of the blue, my 6-year-old son drops a bomb on me, essentially summarizing in two sentences what I spend so much of my career trying to encourage in others. Memories are forever. Memories are powerful. They won't end up in a landfill. They revolve around special people. They don't necessarily cost anything. They latch onto us and influence who we become and what we do.
Memories merely require that we be present. I was exhausted last night. A part of me just wanted to stay home and lay low. That would have been easier. But I really wanted to support my friend, who I knew was excited for his show (he crushed it, by the way). I also knew my kids would love. Therefore, I chose to be present.
That's the weird part about memories. Sometimes, we plan, plan, and plan, hoping to create the most amazing experience. Then, something much smaller surprises us by being the memory that perseveres through time. To this day, the one memory my kids have about a particular week-long spring break trip is swimming with me in the hotel pool.
So all we can do is be present, be intentional, and let the chips fall how they may. When we do, we'll inevitably create powerful memories worth far more than anything money can buy. Or in the beautiful words of Finn, they will be in your head, and you can dream about them any time you want!!