A Moment In Time: How Words Create Memories

When I was young I used to spend a lot of time at my grandparents house. I was a pretty excited child so I was pretty excited to try news things. I loved adventures and having fun. The trip was a surprise, I remember waking up one morning to my grandfather knocking on the door. He quietly woke me and asked me to join his journey. He was heading south to pick up some things he needed for some of his many projects. I loved hanging out with my grandfather, he was such a wise man.

He would teach me all about the world and how things changed from when he was young, how different things looked in our city compared to back then. We had a farm and he would take me on all sorts of adventures where we would be doing different tasks all of the time. Most of the tasks involved projects so I was his best helper.

The drive took around five days, which for me at a young age was magical. I had an activity book that listed different things I could spot and mark down, I believe I filled the entire book. The United States felt different and yet the same. I was excited to see it all though, and we still had a few days left to go. The bamboo trees were incredible, I had never seen anything like them. I wanted to take photos at every sign when we would enter a new town.

There's this saying "people forget years but remember moments", it reminds me of this very trip. But not the drive, trees, or the excitement. I think about standing on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean with two of my favorite people. I remember my grandfather watching me excitedly as I ran down the shore picking things up and looking at them. I would run with and away from the waves as they would crash up towards us.

The view was spectacular, I had never seen an ocean before. In fact, I had never seen a body of water so large that the end wasn't in sight. In that moment the world felt huge, like there really wasn't an end. I remember looking back at the community behind me and I remember thinking how absolutely lucky these great people were to have such a beautiful sight.

It was about nearly a month later that Hurricane Irene stormed through and caused some damage to the beautiful place I once was. I remember thinking how grateful that it was not worse, but then I remembered when I said they were lucky. I realize the world is huge and every place has their share of problems. We are all unlucky and lucky in different ways.

I feel grateful for taking the trip and having the opportunity to witness beautiful parts of the world. I understand that the world is going to give its best but bear the worst too. Despite the very negative things that may happen around the world, I find peace in the moments that are remembered. I remember worrying about the families and those who were still there when we were back home. I thought a lot about how they might have been doing because I never would have believed something like that could happen to a place so beautiful, but it can and it did.

Memories and moments like this are the reason I tend to value the world around me more. I value my family and the moments shared, and the experiences as a whole.

It has been around 15 years since this trip, and not a day goes by that I don't think about the bittersweet moments, and how much I learned from them.

"PEOPLE FORGET YEARS, BUT REMEMBER MOMENTS"

To the greatest Father Figure I ever had, you will forever be loved and missed. R.I.P Dave. #ALSAWARENESS #TERMINALILLNESS

#thoughtcatalog