Memories of past events. people and places, come flooding back into my mind on Throw Back Thursdays. The times of our youth, when we feel that we’re invincible and still have not experienced the pitfalls of living – the days of discovery, when our eyes are opened to the future – the years of learning through our mistakes and failures – all of these are parts of who we are today. Social media has given us a platform to share some of those “olden” days through photographs from the past. Ancient photos often were left unlabeled. No one seems to recall who the people are. Some of those faces had some impact on your life today. Dwelling on the past can be fun, but sometimes the memories aren’t so good, and they make us fall down a very deep rabbit hole, leading to negative thinking and even depression.

My oldest daughter has a wonderful memory. She can recall the smallest details of her youth – things that I didn’t even realize happened. She has one specific memory that really touches my heart. Her dad had taken a part time job to supplement our income and provide a little extra. He became a security guard, which he did during the evening hours. He would arrive home from work long after the children were sound asleep in their beds. My daughter remembers him coming into her room each night, kissing her on the forehead and tucking a stick of gum under her pillow. A simple act of love has remained in her mind for all these years and brings tears to my eyes every time she tells the story.

Our lives are often filled with setting outlandish goals. In so doing we might be setting ourselves up for failure.  We might base our lives on what we look like on Facebook or Instagram, but only God can see within our souls and know who we really are. We won’t experience perfection on this side of eternity.  Things get in the way – unexpected things – things that take away our joy.

So how do we find happiness in the everyday things?  If you have small children, start by spending time with them.  The dishes may not get done, the bills go unpaid, the house is in chaos, but you are experiencing something you will not have available to you in a few years. If you have teens who you have to drive to all their activities, use the time you have together to talk with each other. You might learn a thing or two about each other. If your nest is empty, take time to enjoy a sunset with your spouse.  If your spouse is no longer in your life, enjoy the sunset alone.  We should never get so wrapped up in the busyness of living that we forget to actually live.  The little things may seem little now, but they will grow into wonderful memories someday and they may even turn into big things.