Moments Worth Remembering

By Kimberly Hall

The drive along Amalfi Coast. —Photo taken: October 12, 2018

If I could bottle this feeling of excitement up, I would be a billionaire.  Each day that goes by on my Mediterranean cruise, I try to sit and journal what I’ve seen and experienced.  Each new experience of travel, culture, great food, and music is a memorable moment that I love to capture on camera and in my journal. Capturing memorable moments has always made me happy: after all, it's in my DNA.

Quick visit to Positano (picturesque town considered the jewel of the coast)

As a young girl, I enjoyed looking through old photos. I would think to myself, If this photo could talk, what would it say? I would imagine the setting, the conversation, and the laughter in my head. Happiness was all I knew from my family photos.  The way I viewed my family and the life we lived was so pure, simple, and fulfilling. I could sit for hours and listen to stories about my mom and dad’s early days as a couple. My mom didn’t have very many photos of herself as a young girl, but she kept me spellbound with stories about her childhood as the only girl, with three brothers (and the fights they would get into!). My dad, on the other hand, had plenty of photos of his five siblings growing up, of his mother, and of his time in Vietnam. We were hundreds of miles away from family, so I could create my own version in my head of their lives, personalities, and what made them laugh. Life, as I saw it in photos, was perfect. 

What I didn’t see in old photos is the pain and the grief that my parents experienced. Those moments were rarely captured on camera. To be honest, I’m grateful they weren’t captured. My parents captured what made them smile, what made them laugh, and what melted their hearts. I love and cherish every photo and story.   

Old photographs were like gold to me. I knew from an early age that capturing my own memories was important, too. In my early twenties, I started sending Christmas photos every year to friends and family, with a letter telling them what was going on in my life. To this day, I continue to send yearly letters or photos and I enjoy receiving them.    

Family Photo taken in 1978

I’m prepared to capture memorable moments anytime and anywhere. During my half and full marathons, if I saw something I wanted to capture, I would stop and take out my phone to capture it. Race time was not important, but capturing the moment was. During the Rock ‘N” Roll Raleigh Half Marathon in 2014, I stopped to take pictures of the memorials of deceased servicemen. I was not prepared for the intense emotions. Tears flowed down my face, and I was so thankful for our fallen heroes’ sacrifice and service. I wanted to remember that moment during my race. To this day, I look at those pictures in amazement. I’m thankful to have a running community that remembers our fallen heroes.  

Rock ‘N’ Roll Raleigh Half Marathon —Photo taken: April 14, 2014

Capturing memorable moments has changed, in this day and age, with social media. Don’t get me wrong, I like social media. I’ve been able to connect with people from thirty-plus years ago, people I didn’t think I’d ever see again. I love seeing others do amazing things in their communities and their lives. I’ve also enjoyed the inspiration, encouragement, and humor from memes and personal posts. As much as I love capturing memorable moments, though, I wonder if we spend more time capturing photos than actually creating memories. Living in the here and now is so important for our wellbeing. Capturing memorable moments is one of my “super powers,” but I find joy in being fully present and enjoying the memorable moments of life. I want every moment I capture to be a moment worth remembering.