There are moments that come to all of us on this journey where the view and the moment overwhelm, not only in the beauty, but the impact of the moment. It is that understanding that this moment is captured in our minds and hearts and will reside there until the very end. These moments come at us in all phases of life, but as I near my 7th decade they seem to have deeper impact on my emotions and spirit.
Our son and his family had come to Texas for a summer time visit. The visits over the past few years have been infrequent and tenuous when planned. COVID did a number on travel and consequently emotions. So to have them here, to see the cousins all playing and laughing and swimming together was a moment of pure joy.
At one point we decided to eat lunch at Tacos4Life. One long table for 16 people, grouped according to age with the adults at one end and all the kids at the other end. My kids were all talking and giving each other a hard time about perceived grievances from childhood. I was catching a fair amount of grief for the cars I obtained for their first cars, and all other forms of unfairness in their eyes.
It was at this moment that I looked down the table and saw my 3 grandsons all bent over some meme on the eldest one's cell phone, the little girls from 8-10 and my eldest granddaughter chattering away, and our littlest sitting on her mother's lap, but engrossed in all the chaos. At that moment my brain took a snapshot. A memory snapshot. One I will carry forever. Then I looked across the table at my bride and sent her a message via telepathy that old marrieds develop. "We done good, girl"
How many of these are left? I don't know. Two years ago I was afraid we had seen the last one already. The oldest is headed to college in a few weeks. The son and his family have headed back to Denver. Holidays are still a gamble with all the events in the world. Will I ever see them all together again? I don't know. What I do know is that I will pull this snapshot out every once in a while and drink in the joy of that moment.
My hope is that there will be many more gatherings that the brain's camera can just snap shot after shot. But if not, the newest one will be put in the album to be viewed whenever I want to see my crowd together.
Godspeed to my little band. They have made this the very best journey a guy could have.
Don
