Being in a photo frame of mind I scanned the long wall leading to the upstairs bedrooms of our new home and I knew it would be the perfect place to display our family's memories.

The huge tote that had been packed with the various collection of our framed pictures could now be kept in one special spot--the memory wall.

With hammer in hand, the fresh, untouched wall was christened with the tiny nails from where we would hang our Kodak moments on. 

Everytime I look upon this wall I'm reminded that parents are only as good as the memories they create for their children.

The smiles that beam back to us from days gone by never lose their meaning.

There's our youngest daughter Katie, hand held out to feed a deer. She was so excited that day to be so up close and personal with a big buck that ate the food right out of her hand at the deer park we visited while on vacation.  Decked out in lime green jelly shoes, a hot pink shirt and a jean skirt, this 8 year old was in style for the times.

There's also a picture of both girls standing in Lake Michigan, almost up to their necks in the murky water.  I ran all the way back to where our blankets were layed on the beach, got the camera , and waded all the way back into the rippling lake water  to get a close up shot of them.  It was well worth the effort to gaze upon that picture now and relive the memory.

There were Girl Scout events where the girls were dressed up in everything from cowgirl outfits to dazzling party dresses.  Once, a prom dress from a very popular aunt was tailored to fit a wee miss for the special occasion of a father/daughter dance.

Jaime's graduation picture, from college, depicts a beautiful young woman on the verge of adulthood, not too far down from a picture of her toothless grin taken while on a trip to the zoo.

The memory wall represents the happy times, the special times when the family is at its photogenic best and happiest at heart.  But, I must confess, my photo frame of mind is not limited to the memory wall.  I guess you could say I have a memory refrigerator door, filled with pictures too precious to be stuffed away in photo albums.

One adorable picture that found its place on the frig door is one of our Golden Retriever Hannah, the newest addition to our family.  She is now about a year and a half but the snap shot of her, taken at only 6 weeks old, when she was an irresistable ball of fluff, filled with charm.

Getting use to having another Golden Retriever puppy around again took some getting use to.  They are extremely hyper and chew everything in sight for at least the first year.

Jaime had no patience for Hannah's constant demand for attention and it didn't help that she'd have to chase her around the neighborhood everytime she darted out the open door.

Hannah has calmed down considerably and these days Jaime can't go anywhere without her faithful companion following her.  She looks at the pup that stares back from the frig and can't seem to remember the trouble and chaos that hurricane Hannah once caused.

And it's times like that when I realize that my memory wall of smiling, happy faces holds the same power over me. 

Life is hardly ever perfect.  It rarely ever goes the  way you plan - but when you can look back at the memories , to see the smiles frozen in time, then your heart can dance to the beat of  your own contentment.  Nothing can ever be so bad when the good times are there staring back at you.

As adults we make deposits in the bank to ensure financial security.  So too should we make deposits in the memory banks of family life , for that's where the real fortune is.

It is why I embrace my memory wall and why it will always be a work in progress.

Kathy Whirity
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