Worth the memories

Tis the season for spending money.

Although we finished our Christmas shopping quite a while ago, I still feel like we've done nothing but drain our savings lately as we plan a few trips. It's never easy for me to let go of our hard-earned cash, so I've had to look at it a little bit differently.

I decided that as we spend money on trip planning that I shouldn't look at it as spending money on tickets or hotel rooms, instead I am looking at it as spending money on memories.

The past few years we have gone to Sandals for vacation, and when I look back, I don't think about the payments we submitted for the trips. Instead I remember the time spent together reading on the beach, trying exotic cuisine at dinner, dancing in the cabaret and sailing. I remember laughing at the peacocks walking by, soaking in the sun in the pool and watching the sun set from our balcony.

I know that the short trip we took this weekend to see the lead singer of one of our favorite bands play a solo show wasn't about spending even more money before Christmas. Instead, we will remember that it was the first time I saw live the first song I ever listened to by the group. I will remember laughing with the woman seated next to me as she oggled over the singer. I will remember the odd bathrooms that had a shared hand-washing station between the men's and women's rooms.

Life is about creating memories. Yes, we could save all our money for "someday," and we could stay home. But instead we save for today and enjoy the blessings that God has given us and use them to create memories and enjoy this life. We thank God that we do have the ability to plan trips and to enjoy this points in our marriage. These times will be special ones that we will always look back on, and that's worth the money to me.