Remember This Moment

January 26, 2023.
5:02 PM.

This moment, I'll remember.

The first sign of more daylight,
later sunsets, and longer days to come!

It's the first time since late November that I notice the sky is still light when I get out of work.  

I head east as usual, driving the 14 city blocks home because (1) it's too far for me to walk, and (2) after working all day, my leg isn't predictable enough to take the bus.

I snap a photo so I'll remember this moment.

(No worries, Mom. I'm at a red light!)

This pic might be forgotten by the time I get home, buried 20,000 deep in the "recent photos" album on my phone, like so many others. 

So instead of just snapping it and moving on -- as I usually would -- I deliberately decide... 

To remember this moment.

It's January 26 -- the (many years') anniversary of my brother Mark's Bar Mitzvah.

It's 5:02 --

the number of my 2nd grade Brownie troop,
of which my mom was the leader. :)

Numbers often stick in my mind.  But even without them, it's not hard to engrave a moment in memory!  

Take a typical Sunday afternoon...

My parents and I are in the den watching New Amsterdam, Season 4, Episode 22.  (Yes, we're a little behind.)

In my hands is a mug of hot cinnamon spice tea, a gift from our friend Becca.  And I'm nibbling a piece of dark chocolate from my friend Cécile.  

My mom is curled up in the corner of the couch closest to the television.  She's eating a mini-scone that I baked a while ago, then froze, then defrosted.  

My dad is in his big recliner next to us, commenting back and forth with me on the unlikely scenarios of our show, while simultaneously watching the Flyers game on his Kindle.

I'll remember this moment too.

You don't always need a camera to make a moment memorable.

One of my favorite podcasts, By the Book, did an interview recently with Meik Wiking.  

He's the founder and CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Denmark, and author of The Art of Making Memories and The Little Book of Hygge. 

In the interview, he talks about this exact thing -- how to turn ordinary moments into memories we won't forget, simply by noticing them. 

And how that can make us happy.  

Even on a very small scale.

If -- like me -- you're on a journey that often stays within 14 blocks of home, it's a good skill to take along!

What will you remember?

P.S.  When "real travel" isn't possible, I often escape into podcasts and books. If you're interested, you can listen to the By the Book interview here or learn more about Meik Wiking's books here.