memory lane's walk

it feels like a vacation

there has been much love

Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of our first date.  Crazy.  And as we ate a delicious meal from our favourite restaurant, with a table lit by a candle, we talked about our favourite trips, our favourite memories, and all the things we want to continue holding dear.

It's funny what we both remember, and don't remember.  One of my favourite trips with the kids is our trip to NS, where we rented a cottage on the ocean and played all week in the tides and the red sand, the cold water tickling our feet.  We did day trips to parks, saw some friends, and read and drank.  The kids, generally, were well behaved and for being on the ocean, I don't remember fretting about them getting hurt (probably because it was cold).

He barely remembers that trip - it's lost for him in a sea of other NS memories - the camping trips taking a far more precious place with him.  Some of those memories I like, but others are clouded by rain and dirt and cooking over fires and I don't quite love them the way he does.

His favourite memories are trips to the zoo and ROM, eating out with the kids, and day trips.  Mine are the pajama days we spent in the basement watching trilogies.  We purposely did not talk about the bad:  the endless court cases, our son's mental illness and behaviour, Bob's worsening disease.

It's refreshing to my spirit to remember only the good right now, and to hold it close.  So much is changing, I'm glad we have those memories.