Your 20 Minutes

My husband's father passed away when Gregg was only 9 years old.  

His sister Nikki was 11.

Brothers David and Todd were still in diapers.

His mother did a wonderful job of raising this adorable brood on her own, despite her grief.

Often times, Gregg will hear a Carpenter's song or hear someone whistling and it will trigger memories of happy times with his Daddy.

Last weekend, we shared some "down time" filled with conversation and Gregg shared a story with me that really struck a chord.  

With his permission, I am sharing these treasured photos and Gregg's story:

As a boy, Gregg loved football. 

He had a Minnesota Vikings jersey that his father had given him, which he wore at every possible chance. He loved watching football on television and was enthralled by the incredible athleticism of the players.  Gregg studied their moves and took note of plays.

One afternoon, he asked his father to throw the football to him in the backyard. 

Over and over and over, his Daddy threw the football to Gregg.

Gregg was waiting for the perfect pass... not too easy, but not so far out of reach that it was uncatchable.

He wanted a pass that was exactly far enough away that he would have to dive to make the catch, like a true NFL player.

He was also struggling, knowing that there was a limit to his father's patience.

The window of opportunity was closing.

Finally, the perfect pass came. 

Gregg dove and snagged the ball.

He related in detail the euphoria he felt.

It was a fall afternoon.  He was playing catch with his hero.

In that moment, life was perfect.

After finishing the story, Gregg paused and laughed as he shook his head.

"You know... tossing a football to a little guy over and over like that had to have been a drag.  

The whole interaction couldn't have taken more than 20 minutes.

Yet, it's one of my clearest memories of my father.

I'm sure he was unaware of how profound that experience was to me.

It makes you wonder which 20 minutes of your own actions will be best remembered by your own children."

I sat and thought about this after he finished.

I have thought about it many times since then.

Truly showing up for others that we love and giving them our complete presence is a gift they remember long after the moment.

I'm so grateful that Gregg has several sweet, clear memories of his cherished time with his Daddy.

He makes an effort to live this same way with those he loves.

You never know when your 20 minutes of presence will turn into someone else's most precious memory.

Love, Live, and Create with intention,

Kristi