“Your memories, your love / I have locked away in my soul / Nothing or no one can touch / Your memories, your love” ~Mary Faith
This weekend we hosted our 3rd Annual gathering of Ryan’s friends at our lake. It has been two years since our last one.
Two years watching and remembering small boys grow into fine men. Our summers were filled with the sound of laughter as Ryan and his friends tubed, played man tracker, built forts, and of course always soccer games in the field. 18 years of friends making summer memories full of laughter and emptying of my wallet in grocery bills. Try as I might to complain of the excess noise, the constant cooking and forever admonishing as they tried dare devil tricks on bikes and high in trees, I relished being able to provide a place for children to be free and a wee bit wild.
Those are memories that are unshakeable. Precious. Forever.
I see these men through a new lens now. Bittersweet but oh so proud. I listen as they tell stories. My heart swells as they talk about their accomplishments. I cheer as they make future plans. I cry because I wonder where Ryan would be amongst them. A graduate? A homeowner? A traveller? A husband?
My heart no longer can chart a path for a young man forever frozen at 20.
My soul reminds me to be grateful for all the blessings I have been given and for now the sneak peak for Ryan’s friends as they continue to grow and prosper.
You , my son, are loved by some of the most amazing people.
Your memories live on.
It isn’t everything but it is enough.
