Something I’ve started to realize is that every moment has the potential to be a memory.

Yes, even the everyday, nothing out of the ordinary moments have the potential to be a memory we’ll remember years later when our hair shines gray.

Every moment has the potential to become a memory we vividly remember if we take a moment to breathe it in.

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The moments when we’re so tired from the day but find ourselves playing tag in the backyard, feeling the breeze in our hair, and our ears filling with our children’s laughter . . . breathe it in.

The moments when we’re doing laundry with our toddler next to us squishing up her nose as she concentrates and haphazardly folds her own shirts . . . breathe it in.

We can remember the moments when we’re sitting on the couch, watching their favorite Disney movie for the 500th time, holding their soft hand, and listening to them sing along . . . breathe it in.

We can remember the moments our husband lay on the floor with the kids playing horse, the kids giggling and climbing on top . . . breathe it in.

The moments when we’re driving to school, the kids in their car seats having a conversation about whether fire trucks or motorcycles are faster, their faces and tone of voice so serious . . . breathe it in.

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The moments when you stand helping your son brush his teeth as he makes the most ridiculous faces in the mirror . . . breathe it in.

These are the moments we can (re)discover joy in the simple, everyday moments.

These are the moments that—when life is so dang hard, because it often is, and we feel like we are breaking—can pull us through.

These are the moments that—if we are intentional in pausing and taking a moment to breathe it in—will become lasting, beautiful memories.

Originally published on the author’s Facebook page