"Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children." ~ Charles R. Swindoll
When we moved into our first house back in 1987, I took a piece of wood and nailed it to the wall down in our basement. While there was nothing special about this piece of wood at the time, over the years it has become one of my most cherished possessions. It was on this piece of wood that we would record the height of our children as they grew.
Over the years, the kids took turns standing in front the Kirby Measuring stick and getting their height measured. Trust me, there was nothing scientific about the process. Just stand in front of the stick and have Mom or Dad draw a line equal to the top of your head. Each time it was accompanied by the date and forever recorded for all to see and compare.
The "stick" was transferred to our next home where it was prominently displayed in our family room. As our kids grew, they would benchmark themselves against their siblings, looking to see who was the tallest at each age. The trick in measuring was to make sure that they weren't ever so slightly, or in Nathan's case, blatantly, standing on their toes.
The stick has moved with us to the current Kirbarosa and is on the wall in our breakfast nook, covering almost seven vertical feet of wall space. In case your are wondering, our daughters married some really tall boys who are also marked on the Kirby Measuring stick. As I sat at the table this evening, I looked at all of the markings and tried to remember back to when we measured each of the kids. Each measurement has become a mark in time that records just how blessed we've been over the years. The stick now also bears the height of our grandchildren. For me, the grandchildren's marks serve as a reminder that God continues to be loving and faithful from generation to generation with the Kirby family.
It's amazing how a piece of wood can hold so many memories. It's also amazing how one piece of wood can remind me of just how blessed Mrs. Planet Kirby and I have been over the years and how God continues to bless our family every single day. The Kirby Measuring stick hangs on a wall in the most travelled part of our home. We did that on purpose. You see, some days I feel like I can get so caught up in living that I forget about what's really important in life and this piece of wood now serves as a remember. Each time I pass it, I am reminded about not only what is important but who is important in this life.
Be Well.
Bill
