Over 50 years ago Susie king Crowell said to me, “Fred, let’s make great memories for when we are old, all we will have left are our memories.”

After two years of courtship and 54 years of marriage Susie’s wisdom has proven to be accurate. We have a huge book of memories that have shaped our lives and given us not only great joy but a reason to hope for future memory building as well.

1. Each experience in our lives has three components.
   The preparation component – this could be a fun exciting time.
   A little boy with his catalog of toys under his arm months prior to Christmas. Over $1000
   worth if Santa brings me them all.
   The diehard football fanatics eagerly waiting for the first football game.
   Parents expecting their first child. The better prepared the better the experience. 
2. The actual experience component.
   • How can we make this a great experience is the crucial question?
   • Living right here right now is one of the keys.
   • Living in gratitude is vital.
   • Have goals and plan to make the experience a memory maker. 
3. The memory component.
   This is the best component if there has been excellent planning making the best of each moment. Winning the moment is so important in building great memories.
   The remarkable thing about memories is that some of the ones we enjoy best are those that at the time or not really enjoyable.

   Recently 37 of us went to Italy on a basketball tour. The plane was delayed for hours and hours. Instead of spending our first night in Naples Italy, we were overnighted in Paris.
   The major problem was being restrained in the Paris airport for over five hours because a person left a green bag on the floor.

   Rather than waste time the players went through a one-hour Paris airport Crowell basketball workout. People stopped, looked on with unbelieving eyes, so I’m chuckling and we were all amused
   This negative experience turned into a very positive experience. 37 people will always remember this the rest of their lives. The Paris workout will be a chapter in their living memory book.

In conclusion, there are two obvious takeaways. 

One idea would be to write a memory book of your life for your children and grandchildren to read.

A second idea would be to make a great memory today and tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.

Therefore I will close this with the song that means so much to me.

The song is Because He Lives I Can Face Tomorrow and so can you!

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