When my Swedish cousin turned 50, he and his entire family flew to Florida to celebrate his birthday. His wife and children, and his three brothers and their families were all there. I was fortunate to be able to join them at my sister’s beautiful home on the coast. During that time, my cousin Tommy went and had a really nice suit fitted for himself. He had decided that he would purchase a suit while in the US, as the prices were so much cheaper than in Sweden. When he returned from picking it up, I heard him say to his brother, “I bought a suit.” His brother’s reply caught me off guard. He responded with, “I bought a memory.” You see, he had spent the day with his sons at Disney World. What Bosse said has stayed with me for over ten years. Now, I’m not saying that we should never spend our money on material items, as they can and do bring us pleasure. But Bosse’s comment made me realize that spending our money on experiences is just as valuable.
My son and his wife just took our four-year-old granddaughter to Disney for the week. We were able to Skype with them as Naomi described the trip in great detail. We learned that she loves the really scary rides and meeting the Disney characters. Naomi has etched in her mind a week of experiences that she will cherish for the rest of her life. It was worth it for them to “buy a memory.”
This coming week we have the opportunity to “buy a memory” with our families. We will have a week free from the daily routine of going to school. Our kids will have time to enjoy with their parents and their siblings. I encourage you to take time out of your busy schedule in order to “buy a memory.” With the nice weather coming to Vienna so early this year, you could go for a bike ride together. You could visit a museum or take in a movie. There is so much to do right here in Vienna that wouldn’t even cost very much. What’s important is spending time together.
Thanks to the amazingly low airfares, my husband and I will be Wizzing away to Thessaloniki where we can visit some of the places that the Apostle Paul went while on his missionary journeys. We will drive up to Philippi to see that city, as well, and we will also drive down the coast to enjoy some sun and the amazing coastline. The older we get, the more we realize that what really brings us joy is to use our vacation time to “buy a memory.” Maybe you just might want to do the same.
I wish you all a wonderful Energy Break! We will see you in March.
Because of His Faithfulness,
Sharon Brobst, Director