The new favorite tag line of the Madison Avenue world of advertising seems to be "let's go make some memories". The camera follows a zealous 30 something Dad who is bounding out the door as he declares it is time to take the new car and go make some memories. Or better yet as a bunch of hyperactive kids put on their best I can't believe I just won the Miss America contest face as an announcer declares it is time to go to Disney to make some memories. The whole spectacle just annoys me. The scenes feel contrived and controlling, subliminally guilt inducing. We can no longer just head out the door to have a good time, our experiences now have to be memory worthy. It is a whole lot of pressure on Mom and Dad and the kids. If memories aren't made, did we fail?
Annually during summer break my grand kids come to visit for a week and Marty and I are always surprised at their reminiscences after each visit. They have yet to bring up the time we walked over the Brooklyn Bridge or went to Coney Island to have a hotdog at Nathan's. The moments they remember are the quieter times, odd snippets of life that at the time seem mundane. The books that we read together at bedtime, the fact that I made a "tasty" homemade chicken salad for lunch, or the first time they were allowed to take the canoe out on the lake alone are their memories of time with us. There favorite landmark in Manhattan is not the theater district or the Empire State Building but Hippo Park, a playground on the Upper Westside.
Autumn signals the start of the holiday season, which can be a mixed blessing. It is fun to decorate our homes, prepare our favorite holiday meals and shop for the perfect Halloween costume for the kids. But it is also a time when the stress of each one of those activities strains an already packed life. I encourage you to take the time to find the balance between maintaining family holiday traditions and actually enjoying the holiday. As you head out with the kids to go Trick or Treating this evening, turn off your cell phones. Resist the urge to text your friends, check your email or talk to your BFF while walking with your kids; just be in the moment. I am not guaranteeing that you will create lasting memories. I am suggesting that you give yourself and those you care about a chance to have a good time.
Hugs,
C
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