Cherish the Memories

When our daughter was very little, not yet two, my parents gave her the gift of a picture book and a stuffed animal that went with it. The book was Jane Simmon’s Come Along, Daisy!

The whimsical illustrations in the book invite the reader into Daisy’s world, as seen through the eyes of a child. Our daughter loved her stuffed Daisy duck and the book that told her story. We read it to her over and over again, and Daisy always went everywhere with her.

When Arlene was three, we moved to a new town with a new library and discovered that there were more books that told about Daisy’s adventures. Of course, we read them all. What fun we had! That Daisy plush toy was Arlene’s most-loved possession and still resides in Arlene’s room today. Although these days, since Arlene is 17, Daisy usually lounges on top of the bookshelf instead of on the bed.

Whenever I enter Arlene’s room and see Daisy, she reminds me of the fun and joy of Arlene’s childhood. That stuffed toy reminds me that life should still be filled with joyful adventures—even if my baby girl is now taller than me.

What am I doing with my child today to continue to tie heartstrings? How do we continue to make memories? While high school requirements fill a lot of our time these days, we still need to be on the lookout for those times and days that can be filled with joy and adventure. I must choose to look for and find the joy in our everyday work and remember to plan those fun outings—like another trip to the library.

Our local library is still a favorite place to visit. While Arlene researches details for her latest story, I can use one of the many tables to write out my next newspaper column or blog post. If she is looking for a documentary DVD for science, I can be skimming through the food magazines looking for dinner ideas for next week. We have both changed over the years, but the joy of doing things together has not.

Our children grow and change. Our job as parents is to grow and change with them. May you take time this week to find joy in the small things: reading a picture book or a trip to the library. Or maybe, the joy of finding your teenagers sitting beside you on the couch as they read. Your not-so-little children still love to cuddle up and read a book with Mama. Cherish your children today, and make memories—they grow up fast!

Carol Emmert and her husband Kurt are in their 15th year of home education. With one graduate and one high school senior, Carol writes with a practical look at the whole journey of home education. Focusing on experienced based education and frugal ways to teach and learn well, Carol offers encouragement that anyone, even working moms, can homeschool successfully. Carol writes for her local newspaper, the TOS Homeschool Review Crew, and reviews books for several Christian Publishers. You can find her love of nature, field trips, and lifelong learning on her blog: Home Sweet Life.