#91 Start Your Week With a Quilt©

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#91 Start Your Week With a Quilt©

O.V. Brantley

Make Many Beautiful Memories

Yesterday, I attended the funeral of Christopher Floyd, the 20-year-old son of two of my closest friends Chuck and Deborah Floyd. It was one of the worst days of my life.

But having trained myself over the years to look for a silver lining in my darkest moments, I sought to find one yesterday. My faith is not strong enough to be happy he is in a better place. I want him to be here — with his parents — where he belongs. My search for a silver lining had failed me since the news had come days earlier.

But as we sat in the church waiting for the funeral to start, we were treated to a wonderful slide show that allowed us to glimpse Chris’s life. He had been an extraordinary stage performer, a gifted athlete, and had many friends. The pictures showed us the happy times Chris spent with his family on trips to Disney world and other exotic places around the world, congratulatory smiles after performances, Christmases past, and victory celebrations after football games. And I thought, how lucky Debbie, Chuck and their older son Charles are to have those memories. Knowing from personal experience that it takes years before you really believe a loved one is in a better place after death, I know that remembering Chris’s smile will sustain them.

So this week I share with you India’s t-shirt quilt. It is called AYSC Aliens because the quilt is a collection of t-shirts she collected while a member of the Atlanta Young Singers of Callanwalde. Aside from making beautiful music that she loved and introducing her to her best friends, this choir traveled to places around the world to share their unique gift of song. She has never been able to say the words Atlanta Young Singers without smiling. Unexpectedly, this week she is serving as a counselor for the Atlanta Young Singers at Camp Woodmont in the North Georgia mountains. She was so excited to be asked, and I enjoyed helping her with her preparations to finally be the counselor instead of the camper. I even went with her to ToysRUs where she purchased things for her team the Green Stallions, and I have a phobia of ToysRUs. (That’s a story for another day).

Sometimes we think we indulge our kids too much, and I suppose there are limits. However, I think it’s much worse to not make the time and effort for the beautiful memories. Take the vacation you can barely afford. Stop work and go get the ice cream cone. Don’t miss school performances. Get the special Christmas gift. Do whatever it is that makes your kid smile. Sometimes memories are all that remain, and it will be that smile that lights your way.