Memories

Hello All,

I hope this blog finds you safe and healthy! I was hoping by now we would be spending less time talking and worrying about Covid 19, but that is not to be…..yet! So remember to wear your mask – stay 6 feet apart – socially distance. Protect your social bubble!

Have you ever had weeks where there seemed to be a theme? Maybe it was all good things that were somehow related. Maybe it was a person you haven’t heard from or seen in a while, and all of sudden it is all about that person! For me this week has seemed to be about memory and memories.

So Bob and I have been working hard to retain our memory (to try and stave off dementia). So every morning we play Question of the Day on our Alexa device. We even do this on vacation – trying hard to maintain our daily streak – though every now and then we forget! We do reasonably well – there are definitely topics that are all Bob’s (geography – who knew!) and mine (literature – surely not a surprise for all of you have seen my electronic and actual library). We “share” general knowledge and science. We follow this by continuing to party with Alexa by playing Jeopardy. Aiyiyi! Let’s just say we have days that we rock…..and days we go down in utter defeat!

This past weekend the memories were all yearbooks and pictures. Little mom and I have been downsizing “stuff”. This has led to all sorts of finds, like my yearbook from the second grade! What a hoot that was! And the pictures – what tremendous memories! Pictures of my grandparents and their parents and their lives before we were conceived – and others where we were part of their lives. There is an incredible picture of me as a baby in little mom’s lap with both my maternal and paternal grandmothers and great grandmothers on either side of mom –  five generations in one glance! Pictures of my mom and dad when they were dating – the cheerleader and the football player. Pictures of my dad’s first ever birthday party at the age of 20. Pictures of my brothers and sister as we were growing up – when my nickname was “Sister” not “Phyl”. Pictures of nieces and nephews – former boyfriends and girlfriends – proms – family reunions – graduations – weddings – births and birthdays – funerals – coworkers – trips – pets. We could hardly get through the pictures without sharing a story, a thought, and yes, sometimes a tear or two.

And probably why I put this all together was yesterday was Bob’s birthday! Years ago, we decided we would not give each other presents. Instead we would travel on our birthdays, and give each other memories! Trips both near and far – both in the United States and on foreign soil – literally in planes, trains and automobiles. Trips that included friends and family, or all on our own. For all of you that know Bob, my spreadsheet loving husband, you will not be surprised that he has created a spreadsheet of all of these trips! Dates, times, places, itineraries, food eaten, travel partners, and I am sure there are more “tabs” that I don’t even know about! He wanted to be sure we had a tool to help prompt our memories on days when, perhaps, it will be harder to pull those memories up! Actually, he created a gift for our future selves.

We didn’t travel this year for his birthday – and I am sure he noted that anomaly on his Covid 19 spreadsheet! We have made Covid 19 memories though!

Enjoy your days. Make great and meaningful memories. Treasure your memories.

Phyl