We – well most of us – fall victim to living out our lives and sharing every moment on social media. With our 837 “best” friends that we haven’t seen or actually spoken with in 15 years or maybe haven’t even met. We see the perfect moment and just can’t help ourselves. We have to share. And then it happens. That perfect moment. And, for whatever reason, it can’t be captured. Instead of a moment shared with hundreds or even – shudder! – thousands, it becomes a memory saved as snapshots in our minds, in our memories.
Frustrating? Yes, Especially if you like to share. For the best? Probably. Not everything should be shared with everyone. Sometimes those perfect moments are not even meant to be shared with anyone. They are meant to be snapshots that live on in your memories. A moment in time that is special to you or those you shared it with.
While on vacation with my daughter, we had a number of those special moments. One of my personal traditions when up north during the summer has always been to catch fireflies. I love them. They are magical. One night we walked outside to a site that was truly spectacular. Thousands of fireflies covered the back field. My daughter described it as nature’s rave. I tried to take a picture – I had never seen anything like it. But it didn’t work; the picture was grainy and either over-exposed or just black. And that’s when it hit me. This wasn’t supposed to be captured on film. This was meant to be one of those snapshots in my mind shared between just me and my daughter.
On our flight up north, my daughter and I talked about what animals we hoped to see. Of course deer were on the list. With deer it is always feast or famine – they are everywhere or nowhere. And whether or not we see them varies from year to year. Also on the list were skunks (we saw a surfeit of skunks one year and they were adorable!), fox, and bear cubs (I know, not exactly safe).
This year happened to be a deer year, although much more up close and personal than usual. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any skunks.
But I did see a fox. The elusive fox. And she was beautiful! A dark burnt orange-red color. I can count on one hand the number of times I have seen a fox. This time was while walking the trails by myself. But she was fast – much too fast for me to get my phone out and snap a picture. I knew my daughter would be upset having missed her, but realized this was meant to be my moment. One of my own snapshots.
My daughter saw a bear cub. I missed the little ball of fur. Driving one of the back country roads, the cub was wandering in the field next to the road. At first my daughter thought it was a dog, but on closer inspection realized it couldn’t possibly be a dog. Country roads require eyes on the road. I missed the cub. But that’s okay. The cub was meant to be her moment, her snapshot.
Sharing moments and memories with others is great. It’s one of the things that helps connect us, keep us in touch with others and who we are. The key, however, is understanding that not all moments are meant to be shared. And recognizing those moments so they remain special – to you and to those that you share them with.
