Saturday was my mom’s 82nd birthday and for the first time that I can remember I did not get her a birthday present.
Every year my mom tells me not to get her a present and every year I think I can’t do that, I have to get her something. Of course she never tells me what she wants, so I just have to find something I think she will like.
This year my word for the year is “experience”. For me it means to experience things in life that I might otherwise turn away from for all kinds of different reasons. As I thought about my word this year I thought about how it applies to my mom.
My mom is 82 and there is truthfully and honestly nothing material she wants in life. What my mom does want is experiences, and that is the gift I gave her. I invited she and my dad over for a home cooked lunch that I had prepared. Also, a couple of our kids were able to stop in for lunch and cake to celebrate with my mom on her birthday.
Saturday was a great reminder to me that material things get lost, broken, misplaced, thrown away, or forgotten but special experiences in life we get to take with us forever knowing exactly where they are at all times.
My challenge to each of us is to trade in those material things from time to time for a wonderful experience that could have never been bought or traded for. The good experiences in our lives are the good stuff that make up a life we love and the memories we will forever cherish.
Your experiences await, go after them.
Your Friend,
Aaron