My mother has always told me that “life is a collection of moments so make the best of each and every moment of life.” This advice has helped me to think about every moment as being great but some moments truly stand out as being among the greatest. Considering this, I thought about these moments that really stand out in my memory. I thought about the time that I stayed up all night to watch a meteor shower with my friends. I thought about the time that I went hiking and with my father and watched in awe as a mother and a cub bear walked within a few feet of us. Finally, I determined that the best moment of my life was when I attended a family reunion and realized just how much my family means to me.

It was a breezy fall morning and my mother was frantic trying to get everyone together for the trip to the home of my grandparents. She had prepared vegetable dishes and desserts which had filled the home with tempting smells for several days prior to the reunion. She panicked when I nearly dropped the cake tray and I laughed when my father said “it is only family, dear. Nothing has to be perfect.” But the day was perfect even with all the frantic moments and the long drive.

We arrived and it seemed as if there were a million people filing into the home. I had heard the stories of many of these people but did not realize just how large my family is until this day. Exiting the car, I felt like a total stranger. However, within seconds, I was being hugged and greeted by my family. Everyone spent the day laughing and telling stories about members of the family that were no longer with us and even some funny stories about my parents. My father’s cousin told of a fishing trip that the two of them had taken and told me that my father panicked about a nearby snake and actually flipped the fishing boat. I laughed until I almost cried.

So much happened that day but it seemed to end too quickly. However, the memories that were shared and the memories that were made have stayed with me ever since. I have stayed in touch with my “new family” and continue to share our stories. My mother says that “sharing memories keeps them alive.” This makes sense because the greatest moment of my life is closely related to learning to share all of the other moments with others.