If you could record any scene from your life so you could watch it over and over again, which one would you choose?
This was the question posed to our group of family and friends as we sat around our campfire last night.
The weather was perfect and we had just gotten off the volleyball court after playing until we couldn’t see the ball anymore.
There were 15 of us around our campfire circle, spanning nearly six generations. We certainly had lots of scenes to choose from.
This question proved to be a bit challenging as we went around the circle. Not because it was hard to come up with a scene we wanted to record, but because we found it difficult to pick just one.
As we went around the circle and each person shared their story, you’d hear the people who went before them say, “I just thought of another one!” or laugh to themselves as a funny memory surfaced.
What really made me smile is that most of the stories were shared between multiple members of our group. Many of them were from around a campfire or a camping weekend, or a poker night or girls night out that had turned into an adventure.
While most of the memories were funny and silly and made us laugh, there were moments that were bittersweet, and even a little bit sad.
A few of us wanted to record times from our past so we could have more tangible memories of someone who was very special. There were people missing from our campfire that had been important parts of our circle.
It was a really great way to spend a few hours connecting.
We laughed, a few of us cried, and I think we all ended our night feeling pretty darn lucky to have what we have.
It’s times like last night that truly make me feel grateful.
These campfire memories that we have are special.
They are sometimes what gets me through when I have a rough week. When the daily grind gets to be too much and I struggle to find my purpose.
These people that are part of my circle, that share this campfire with me, that struggle alongside me and aren’t afraid to talk about it - they are what keep me going.
I hope we’ll still be sitting around the campfire when I’m old and gray. We’ll have new generations in our circle then, and different stories to share.
But the Big Dipper will still be looking down on us…just in case the conversation turns to religion, politics or parenting.
And we'll keep feeding the fire with our laughter and our tears, for as long as we are able.
Because that's what life is about...the connections we have, the memories we make and the people we share it with.
Which scene(s) from your life would you replay over and over if you could? Who is in them?
Keep those memories close, and those people closer.
Burn your fires brightly for as long as you can...
The best stories are told around them!