Capturing Moments in Time and Memory

Capturing moments in time and memory is something we all do from time to time.

"I will remember this moment.   I will!"   I have said to myself.   There are times that were so good, or so peaceful, or so moving that I wanted to indelibly impress them on my memory so that I could remember them later.  It is amazing how many of these memories that have been stored away. 

I would like to share a few of such moments in this blog.   They may prompt you to take some mental "snapshots" yourself.

Snapshot
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It was sometime in the summer of my 2nd grade year, and my family had guests over.   There was a wonderful little girl a year older than me, and a year younger than my brother.   I remember my brother and I trying to impress this girl.  She sat on the couch, and he and I would perform dance moves, songs, handstands, somersaults, anything to impress her.   Then my mom called my brother into the kitchen for some reason, and this girl and I finally had time to talk.  I needed to remember this feeling.   I had a huge crush on this girl; it happening over the course of an hour.   I finally had time without competing over her with my brother.  By the time he came back, she and I were sitting together on the couch.  This was a time I did not want to forget.

Snapshot
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My uncle took me up in his plane, sometime when I was 5.  I do not remember much, but there was a moment.   He told me to take the stick when we were up in the sky.  He said to not move it and keep it in the center.   I did, but did not believe that he let go in the front.  When he put up his arms, I knew that for that time I had control, I was flying the plane. 

Snapshot
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T-ball was the bane of my existence.  I would always hit the ball directly to the 1st base player.  I got more OUTs than anyone else in the team.   Yet, one day, I hit the ball and it did not go to 1st base.  It went beyond the pitcher and out into the field.  I ran two bases, but we won the game because the other bases were loaded.  Before I knew it, I was hoisted to the shoulders of my team, and marched around the field. 

Snapshot
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My friend was talking about suicide.  I spent hours talking with him.   When he went home, I did not know what the outcome would be the next day.  I hoped for the best, but was too young and too uninformed that I should have told someone else about my fears.  It was the longest night.   The next day, I talked with him, and he sounded better; not much, but better.  I felt such a sense of relief.   I vowed I would remember that time.  He is now married and has two children and he is happy.

Snapshot
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People around me saw angels.   It was a camp out, and these junior high kids saw angels.   All of us just completed a game where we said what we liked about the people around us.   There was such a sense of peace and love among the group.   Just then, people started stirring and asking who those two people were (pointing to the edge of the fire).  I did not see anything; but they even had different description of who these two were.   About three of us did not see anything at all; I was one of them.   Though in that setting, I believed totally that others were seeing the angels.  It was a moment that I needed to put away, to save, to cherish.