Father Time waits for no man.
Or woman.
“I thought getting older would take longer,” I often moan.
But here we are, smack dab in the middle of middle age.
The sands of time must be made of quicksand.
And it is in that quicksand that we grownups find ourselves admitting to being “stuck,” “in a rut” or just plain “set in our ways.”
(Ouch.)
Did I just say that?
Because I don’t want to be a boring old person!
And neither do you.
Harnessing the power of the moments we have is the key to combatting the curmudgeon living inside all of us.
Today’s WINSday Wednesday inspiration comes from my friend Ginny Starr. She knows how to make even the most ordinary day feel like a celebration. If you ask Ginny how she does this, she’ll say she’s a curator of memories.
I’ve watched her create special moments for the teachers at her kids’ school.
I’ve watched her create special moments for the staff at our local church.
And I’ve watched her create special moments for the people in her regular life—the friends and family who pass through her welcoming front door every single day.
I’m not talking about the “carefully curated” moments we see plastered across our Instagram feeds.
I’m talking about the kind of real-life intentionality that leads to real powerful visceral responses.
So what does it mean to be a curator of memories?
The word curate comes from the Latin cura, which translates “to care for.”
When Ginny says she want to be a curator of memories, what she’s really saying is “I want to care for you.”
In caring for people, we’re not just manufacturing special moments; we’re literally making them feel special.
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
You know why I love going over to Ginny’s house?
It’s not because she makes delicious soup (although she does).
Or because she always has a pot of my favorite tea (although she does).
It’s because when I’m at Ginny’s house, she makes me feel like I’m the most important person in the world.
And I know it’s not just me.
Everyone who spends time with Ginny feels special, and that is because while they are with her, they are being cared for.
And being cared for with intentionality and purpose is transformative.
There’s real power in the moments we spend together.
Chip and Dan Heath wrote a book called The Power of Moments, and it’s an excellent guide for anyone seeking to create more value with the time they have.
In the book, they describe four types of moments (using the acronym EPIC):
• Moments that Elevate: Creating moments that rise above the everyday.
• Moments of Pride: Helping people feel proud of accomplishing milestones.
• Moments of Insight: Helping people understand an important truth.
• Moments of Connection: Forging transformational alliances among people.
Curators are noticers.
To create memorable moments means you’re going to have to start paying attention. No more “this is the way we’ve always done it kind of thinking.” Curators gather the best of what they have, then safeguard and share their art with the world. It is both tedious and magnificent, a gift to those who experience it.
An easy way to slow down time is to shake up the status quo, to do something a little different than you’ve done it before. That’s how memories (and friendships) are often formed.
I want to live a life punctuated by happy moments spent with dear people. When I think about the sands of time, I don’t want the picture in my head to be one of me falling through quicksand. I’d rather think about the me that lives among the sand on my favorite beach, windswept and frolicking in the waves. happy and free and smack dab in the middle of a MOMENT IN TIME.
This week, take a page from the Ginny Starr handbook and make a memory.
1) Invite a friend over. Use the good china!
2) Write a letter—on real stationery!
3) Have sundaes on Sunday—your kids will love you!
Who do you know that needs caring for this week?