Last week whilst on holiday I had an idea. One day I asked the boys to come into the forest area outside our holiday home and build a den with me. They began in earnest and we built an impressive structure. Each day Jon and I helped them add to it and make it stronger and more elaborate. We were all justly proud of our achievements! To top off our Bear Grylls moment, I made Nettle Soup. The boys dutifully drank it – although I think it was more of an endurance test than a pleasure!

A couple of days after we got home, I asked the boys what they had liked the most about the holiday. Was it the yummy food or the swimming pool, the cycling, or going on a pedalo, or playing on the beach? No, it was building the den. It was a totally free made-up-on-the-spur-of-the-moment activity! But it was time where Jon and I were totally theirs.

I thought about this afterwards and reflected on how easy it is to make memories for those around us. Sometimes we will make good memories that are happy and fun to recall. At other times we will be the cause of a painful or hurtful memory.

Perhaps today you and I can reflect on the kind of memories we want to make for others. Do we want to be the reason for someone to wince or do we want people to look back on that time with us as signifiant, spiritually refreshing, fun and nourishing?

Make some memories today. And perhaps don’t bother with the nettle soup.