A tantalizing smell. An unmistakable sound. A vivid scene. A memorized feeling.

I recently made a pot roast with mashed potatoes and homemade gravy for dinner. The aroma of the roast simmering immediately brought me back to Sundays growing up. We came home from church and walked into the house filled with such aroma.

“That was my favorite meal growing up.” I said. “I tell you that every time I make a roast, don’t I?” My family nodded politely.

It just takes a speck of familiarity to reminisce.

When my daughter and I are cheek to cheek, it evokes fond memories of her as a baby cradling her head against my face as I rocked her.

When the song, “We Are Family” is played, I cannot help but remember how as teenagers in the Philippines, my sister and I used the song to memorize our Tagalog language vowel techniques.

As I am now reading Sisterchicks in Gondolas! by Robin Jones Gunn, the scenes she paints of Venice take me directly back to the year we spent our anniversary in the enchanted floating island city. Our walks at night along the canals were romantic with the lights glistening off surrounding water and beautiful live music echoing the corridors. The following day, plentiful pigeons in San Marco square encircled our daughter, while we laughed and videotaped the playful incident.

Such fond memories.

As parents, what memories do we intentionally create? Making memories doesn’t require money or extravagant trips. Memories can be created from the every day little things, traditions, or simple family outings.

What will cause our children to reminisce when they become adults? As parents, we paint the scenes upon our children’s hearts. Take time to etch the backdrop and landscapes into our lives so that fond images imprint the canvas.

Leftovers in their less visible form are called memories. Stored in the refrigerator of the mind and the cupboard of the heart. ~ Thomas Fuller