Recently I heard someone ask what big, memorable moments in our lives will stand out to us when we look back at it at age 80. I had to really think about it. To me, the best moments of life haven't been the "biggies" -- graduation, school in Wales, marriage, moving to Canada, giving birth, trips to Hawaii or Italy, books coming out. I'm surprised to discover that the most memorable things to me, the things I'll look back on with deep satisfaction, are these: My mom's blueberry cheesecake. The clouds moving in over the lake. My kids laughing together in the basement. Singing bedtime songs to my grandkids, knowing which ones they always request. Lying in the hammock with my banjo. Swimming at Helaman Halls with my cousin Janice while "I Can't See Me Lovin' Nobody But You" plays (ungrammatically) on the sound system, and someone somewhere is grilling burgers. My dog's soft head warm under my palm. A musical jam session with my parents and siblings, complete with yodeling. Grandma's sloppy joes. Stumbling across a really well-written book. Listening to the wind in the trees. The jolt and rattle of riding on the back of my dad's bike. Sharing Grandpa's recliner while watching Johnny Cash. Sledding down the snowy slope behind my parents' house. The thump and shove of my loom. Clogging to Bluegrass music. The view of Mount Timpanogos from my childhood bedroom window. My dad's brothers gathered singing around the piano while their mother played. Hiking at Riverwood. Homemade bread.
These are the things that make up my life, the really important parts of it, anyway. These are the things I need most, and that I'll miss most when this life is over. If I look back at age 80 and nothing more exciting has happened to me than these, I'll consider it the best possible life.
