As a wife and a mom, I wanted to remind you that life is made up of moments. Sometimes those moments are filled with laughter, celebrations, and excitement. Other times, those moments bring tears, uncertainty, and heartache. But one thing I’ve learned through the years is that those moments can change on a dime.

My family has been reminded of that more times than we would like. This week, we said goodbye to my father-in-law. We also lost two of Granny Sherry and David Srs. neighbors. Moments like these have a way of reminding us that life is precious, time is short, and we never truly know what tomorrow will bring.

As Charlie continues growing up, he is learning these lessons too. Life is not always easy. There are seasons filled with happiness and seasons that stretch our hearts. There are moments when we celebrate and moments when we grieve. But through every season, there is something that matters more than anything else. Who was there during those times.

Because the truth is, we may not always remember every word that was spoken, but we often remember who stood beside us. We remember the person who showed up and for my family those are the moments we show up for. Which is a lesson I’ve been teaching Charlie this week and also Bradley.

I let the know showing up doesn’t always mean having the perfect words. Sometimes we don’t know what to say. Sometimes there is nothing we can do to take away someone’s pain or make a difficult situation disappear. But we can be there. We can sit beside someone who is hurting. We can make the phone call. We can send the message. We can offer a prayer. We can listen. We can simply remind someone, “You don’t have to walk through this alone.”

Some of the most meaningful memories in our lives are created because someone took the time to be present. It may be attending a child’s school program, cheering from the sidelines, celebrating a birthday, gathering around the dinner table, or sitting together on the porch at the end of a long day.

Those moments may seem ordinary while they are happening, but years later, they often become the memories we treasure most. And then there are the harder moments. The hospital visits. The goodbyes. The unexpected phone calls. The days when life doesn’t turn out the way we hoped. Those moments show us the importance of love, compassion, and simply being present.

We don’t always need to fix things. Sometimes we just need to show up. The older I get, the more I realize that time is one of the greatest gifts we can give another person. We can replace many things in life, but we can never get back a moment that has passed. Children grow up. Parents grow older. Families change. Life moves forward. That’s why the moments we share matter.

Years from now, people probably won’t remember every gift we purchased or every task we completed. But they will remember that we came. They will remember that we stayed. They will remember that we cared enough to be there. So today, I want to encourage you to look around at the people God has placed in your life.

Who needs a phone call? Who needs encouragement? Who needs a reminder that they are loved? Who needs you to simply show up? Because the moments we show up for become the memories that last a lifetime. And sometimes the greatest gift we can give someone is not something we buy. It is our time. It is our presence. It is our love. It is showing up.

Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed