What is your most treasured memory?

Mine goes back to when my nephew Adam was about 8 (he's now 22!) and was staying with me for the weekend. He'd had his bath, heard his stories and I was just kissing him goodnight when he said, "Auntie Kath, will you be my mate?" I said, "Adam, I'm your aunt, and I love you much, much more than any of your mates ever will." "Yes, I know," he said, "but I have other aunts and other mates. I want you to be my one and only aunt who is also a mate. I want you to be special."

No, I couldn't choose.

The moment I first laid eyes on that 9 pound 15 ounce screaming, little person.

Wow, Kathy: that would bring tears to my eyes, too!

I have Dad breakfast memories, too. When I was in high school neither Dad nor I ever wanted Mother to get up because she talked and expected conversation, and we weren't into that. Anyway, Dad would always call up to me, "Kathy, get up it's seven o'clock. Do you want an egg?" I always yelled down, "No", but when I got downstairs there was either a scrambled egg or one mixed with left over potatoes or ham or something sitting on the bar which I always ate. He was still sitting at the bar when I headed off to school.

I also have a Dad drving me to school memory. One day there was an ice storm and school wasn't cancelled so Dad said he'd drive me (and my girlfriends to school). When I went out the front door I slid on the ice on the front steps and landed on the small of my back, and it really hurt. I got into the car and asked Dad if he saw it and when he said he didn't I went on the describe it and how my back hurt. When Barbara got in the car I described it again. Then we picked up Ann, and she got to hear the story. That evening at the dinner table I began telling the tale to my mother, and Dad said, "Did you fall?" I still can't believe it.

Yea, the 9 pound 15 ounce thing was a little extreme. I gained 22 pounds. The doctors said he'd be an average sized baby. That's how much they know. LOL!

Pickles & Kathy: Really lovely memories of your fathers. Made me smile and remember some of my Dad too (he died in 2000). Thanks for sharing.

Great question ~ but I canNOT limit it to one ~ or even two ~ there are several people who have left an indelible mark on my heart ~

Sooz

I don't know. I have plenty of good memories, none that I'd consider "the one cherished" though. But I also just tend not to dwell in the past. As I'm packing up all my stuff for yet another move, I've actually debated whether I should just throw out the old photo albums I never open. They just take up space.

When my girl was 3 she contracted viral pneumonia.
She lay in a hospital bed for a week, out of it the whole time. I only ever went home to shower and change. I really thought we were going to lose her.
She woke one morning, slid her wee hand over to me, clutched my finger tight and smiled. I had the broadest grin as the tears flooded down my face.

Some people define 'treasured' differently than others.

After 3 hours of insisting that "it's me, not you", I closed the door on the house and that first marriage. I still treasure that cool, sweet smell of fresh air and freedom. It allowed me, so far, 26 years of happiness.

I don't think I can choose either. I think it's partially because I've been lucky to lead a pretty easy life. So I have no horrible or even really bad memories to measure against. I lots of wonderful memories of friends and families and I certainly can identify with the sweet smell of freedom that NC speaks of too.