As I mine countless documents to piece together the puzzle of my family history, I am making some wonderful, enriching discoveries. For example, my dad always enjoyed taking movies, and we always enjoyed watching the movies of the good times present and past. Only now though as I look at the old movies do I recognize my dad's artistry and love of story. His movies are carefully crafted and include so many beautiful scenes and joyful experiences and expressions. In many ways he captured the essence of who people were and the joy present in so many moments of life.
In those films, I've noticed the care that so many relatives brought to our family including the care to make sure we had nice clothes and the care that brought us together for so many good times throughout the year. There's movies of sledding, skating, visiting farms and zoos, family parties, pool games, hikes, and celebrations. We rarely went for more than a week without some kind of good time. Like many families, we worked hard all week and carved time out on the weekend to enjoy a special outing, party, or celebration.
When I visit my dad today, I'll share this revelation with him and together we'll likely watch one or more old movie. As we watch, I'm sure he'll tell me stories related to the event as our time together these days always includes a lot of story telling. Just last week he told me with joy about the time my two cousins lived with us. He clearly loved the spark and spunk they brought to our home during that time. A trip down memory lane with the right attitude does result in some happy discoveries, the kind of discoveries that can enrich your life today as well.