Take the time to enjoy the people who matter most.

By Wendy Anne Clark
(C) 2010

In December my husband and I took our two teenage daughters to see Steller Kart (a Christian band) on their “Punk the Halls” tour. They were offering VIP tickets with a t-shirt for only $10 more than the not-so-VIP tickets, so we decided to go for the deal. Along with the free t-shirt we got to meet with the band before the concert, ask questions, take pictures, and “hang out.” There were only about 8-10 VIP’s, so we felt like V-VIP’s. Not surprisingly, those fans age 16 and under asked different questions than those few of us over 16. The younger fans asked questions like, “How did you decide to follow your dream?” The older attendees asked questions like, “How long have you been on the road?” and, “When’s the last time you got to take a shower?” The answer to that last question was “three days,” which prompted a greasy-hair demonstration.

We had a great time with our daughters, and we did something very important—we made memories. And it didn’t cost us much. The tickets were pretty inexpensive, we had burgers for dinner, and we had to drive a bit to get there—all pretty cheap for something we are not likely to forget.

What memories are you making with your kids?

Memories don’t have to be expensive, but they do require something from you—time. If you find that you are too busy to spend some time just having fun with your kids, then you are too busy.

So . . . take a day to go and play in the snow. Ride bikes. Make a picnic lunch and head out for a drive and a hike. Have a movie night, eat popcorn, and watch something together. Play board games. Take a drive out to the beach. Explore an unfamiliar town. Try something new.

Plan. Be creative. Make it a priority to have fun together.

And make memories.