U is for Unforgettable: Building Skills

 Naturally, the song Unforgettable is playing in my mind as I type this blog but the reason I am writing on this subject is to remind us all that the things of value should never be forgotten in our day to day life. Special memories like your wedding day or the day your baby was born are truly unforgettable. Family members and close friends and special days are unforgettable too. However, I want to challenge us to go beyond this.

Sometimes we watch the news and the circumstances of the day create such a powerful emotional response even if they do not directly relate to us that we find them unforgettable. "Where were you when..."is a question that often elicits a quick response because you easily recall what you were doing when a certain event occurred. Sometimes we have to work hard to remember a day and other times it is like a blaring horn and flashing light that we simply cannot ignore.  When I mention this, what kind of days come to mind for you?

We choose to remember to our parents on mother's and father's day. We think of our relatives and friends on their birthday. We remember veterans on Remembrance Day and we give thanks to God for our blessings on Thanksgiving Day. There are many days of celebration to help us remember important people and events such as April 2 which is set aside to remember and celebrate people with Autism. To encourage the children in  your life to build their skills in understanding and compassion, it is important to find ways to talk to them about all these special days and people. Why do we never want to forget them? What makes them wonderful and unique and an important part of the story of humanity? Teach them!

None of us want to be forgotten. Part of the fear of death is that when we cease to live we fear we will cease to be remembered. We fear we will no longer have the value that we have today. Will what we did in our life have lasting significance? Will it be enough to make us unforgettable?

Why not do a couple more things with the children in our life to ensure we are unforgettable? We can have fun with them, spending time one on one in things that they find exciting and meaningful and make memories that last a lifetime and are worth sharing with others as well. We can also create a memory book and/or photo album filled with pictures and memorabilia related to special moments together.  We can include the generations that came before us by documenting the family tree. We can include special events that happened in certain years too. For example, in the month of your birth this movie was #1 in the box office. The same year I got a driver's licence I got my first car. It was a ... The price of bread on the day you were born was $__ and so on. 

Creating memories and remembering them is valuable. It leads to people feeling more secure that they are part of a bigger picture. It lets them see they have an important role to play in the course of history. It helps them appreciate the older generation for their contributions and leads them to dream about what they could do one day that will make them unforgettable.

What I really want you to hear though, is that we should all value life to such a degree that we are all unforgettable. Please don't turn a blind eye to a homeless person on the streets. They have a story that led them there. Don't forget about the seniors with dementia in nursing homes. They've lived a life that contributed to our society. Don't forget about the unborn, those immunocompromised and those requiring extended periods in the hospital. There are people who died too young in wars, in famines and in accidents. There are big names who accomplished big things and seemingly insignificant individuals who nonetheless participated in this world in some way. Celebrate them all.

And please, celebrate yourself too. Please recognize your value and your importance. You may feel unseen or undervalued but actually you are unforgettable. You are special. You have worth. And so do those around you. Treat them with respect. Appreciate them. Encourage them. 

I know it seems I am way off course on building literacy skills in this blog. Okay. Let's mention reading the biographies of people throughout history. Let's talk about historic events and the key players in those moments. Let's write about people in your world and what they are doing that is unforgettable, whether noble, scholarly, hilarious or record breaking or simply meaningful. Who can forget a mother's love, a father's protection, a teacher's key lesson and so forth? Hearing their stories, talking about them, reading or writing about them...these all build up more than just literacy skills, they also contribute valuable lessons to making the children in your life better citizens. They will be smarter, wiser, kinder, more powerful, more compassionate, energized, inspired and more as they remember unforgettable moments that occur in life.

Make sure they know they are unforgettable. Their life matters. And make sure you remember yours does too. Make your days count! They are a gift to you. Enjoy.