When
I was a young man in college, I had a friend at work who was a number of years
my senior, but we had fun visiting together and often worked side-by-side. One
day when I entered his office, he was rather melancholy and not the typical
animated companion I was used to. I asked him what was wrong. He said “Oh
nothing is wrong, but I had the most interesting experience this weekend.” So I
asked him to tell me more. He went on to explain that his children had come to
visit and spent the weekend at home with him and his wife. They were visiting
and having fun together when one of the boys, now a full-grown man, piped up
and said “Dad, remember when we used to go on those drives together when we
were kids? That is probably my all-time favorite memory of days gone by when I
was a child growing up.” Others chimed in and confirmed his sentiments. My
friend went on to explain “You know that was back in the old days when Relief
Society was held during the week. When my wife left to the her meeting, I
had the children at home all by myself. I really had no idea how to keep them
all happy, so out of desperation I would pile them in the car and go for a
drive. Now years later, my children tell me that was their favorite memory
while growing up.” He marveled how easy that treasure could have been missed.
We
remarked that frequently we don’t understand fully the implications of our
choices until well afterward. I have dozens of examples. One more that comes to
mind follows:
Though
I spent most of my childhood in Salt Lake City, we later moved to the country
in a small rural town called Castle Valley just outside Moab, Utah, where I had
the unique opportunity to grow up as a young man on the farm. At the time, I did not fully appreciate what a gift it was to have that opportunity. Now, I recognize
what a gift delight it was to experience country life and learn the value of hard work,
dependability, and thrift. It literally shaped my life.
Some
years ago, my wife and I purchased a video tape recorder. This was a brand new
technology at the time, and the particular camera we had chosen fit an entire
VHS cassette and looked something like a news camera. Though it was massive
when compared to the little, hand-held devices of today, at the time, it was
the peak of technology. We were delighted and brought the camera down to Castle
Valley with us—my oldest two were still small children—not knowing exactly what
we were going to capture. But we knew we should begin filming something for our
history. Well, it happened that I had the camera out just as Grandpa, as
referred to by my children, nephews, and nieces, was preparing to go milk the
jersey cow, Janey, so I started filming.
Then
he began telling a story about his life. I continued recording as he recalled
an experience in Nova Scotia where he served as a young missionary without
purse or script. Dad said that back then, missions had the option of choosing
that method from among others, and that meant he depended on some kind soul to
give him and his companion a room and a meal in exchange for preaching the
gospel. Most days that worked fine, but on occasion he and his companion went
hungry and even spent some nights under the stars. He shared with us many other
experiences, as well. Grandpa had the uncanny ability to draw people in with
his stories, especially when they were about real-life events and included fun
and interesting observations about life’s lessons. This was no exception, and
not surprisingly, this tape became the favorite for our children. They watched
it constantly, literally every day. That way, they were able to enjoy the farm,
the animals, and Grandpa from long distance. Eventually the tape became so worn
and battered that it began showing signs of wear. Before long the sound on the
tape faded in-and-out until it altogether ceased. Later, the video was
misplaced before I had a chance to transfer it to a DVD. That was a tragedy of
sorts. After my father passed away, I thought many times I would like to sit
down and spend a few minutes with him milking Janey. Nevertheless, in our
memories, we are able to forever cherish the numerous moments like these.
Our
Castle Valley homestead was all about experiences, which if we were to attempt
to capture them all, I suppose they would fill volumes. We remember highlights
that warmed our hearts and provided satisfaction then and continue to buoy us
up now as we reflect on these choice experiences living off the land and
fulfilling a life-long dream for mother. Her dream became our dream, and the
life we lived there provided hope and joy then and solace now. We will
continue to treasure and share these memories for generations to come. Life was
hard and sometimes seemed unfair, but looking back with hindsight as they say
is 20-20. We can easily see the multitude of blessings that came from our
Castle Valley experience, and what’s more we are able to relive them through
our journals and our memories.
What
stories are you living now that your children will cling to the rest of their
lives? Make choices today that you can live with tomorrow.
Your posterity may just hold on to them
for the rest of their lives.
I go to work as a football player, but I
was put on earth to be a father.
