You will be hard-pressed to find anything good about Covid. But, for me there was one thing. It FORCED me, and many others, to stop-and-smell-the-roses. It FORCED us to bond with our families, in a way we maybe hadn’t considered an option in the past. It FORCED us all to appreciate the everyday small things, we all seemed to take for granted. I can remember many vital moments with my family, but one in particular stands out…and still brings a smile to my face.
It was a hot August day. Reagan, my daughter (7-years-old at the time) and I decided to ride our bikes - it was pretty much all you were allowed to do - to McDonald’s to get lunch. Of course, there was no inside dining so we rode our bikes through the drive thru. As we sat on the sidewalk eating our lunch, with smiling faces in every car that passed us, we had the best lunch we’ve ever shared…and probably ever will. After lunch, we rode some more before returning home to tell mom all about it. A vital memory that I can PROMISE you I would not have today if I wasn’t forced to slooooow down and BE PRESENT. I know it’s something she (Reagan) will FOREVER remember.
Before Covid a bike ride with Reagan looked more like this: hurry up and get on our bikes, me in dread of losing a precious hour of my day (though I would NEVER let her know that) her excited to spend time with her dad. Starting out on our journey of the neighborhood, me thinking about all the things I didn’t get done today and what I need to get done tomorrow, her ready to experience all the world had to offer on our adventure. Shamefully, I would hurry her along on our ride so I could get back to my laptop and try to get caught up. That way tomorrow will be a lot less stressful and on tomorrow’s bike ride - I can be fully present. Guess what happened on tomorrow’s bike ride…
We at vidl define Vital Moments as “those moments in life that someday you’ll wish you had back”. She’s now 9 and just 9 short years away from leaving for college. When she does I will wish, with all my might, that I could have just one more bike ride. Are you crying? Yea, me too.
As the pandemic gets further and further in our rear-view mirrors, and the rat race we call "life" begins again, I pray the lessons we learned during the time we were forced to slow down do not fade away. I’m hopeful, we can still remember to stop-and-smell-the-roses, be present in the times that call for it, and be more intentional in our pursuit of vital moments and memories with the ones we love.