Cherishing special moments

A few weeks ago my Mother, Father, Sister, Nephew, Husband and Daughter went on a cruise around Sydney with my Mother's parents. In the past year my Grandfather's health has started to falter. It has been sobering to realise that he is getting old, and that he is entering into the twilight of his life. I know I am blessed to have grown into adulthood with my Grandparents. However, watching them age has not been easy.

The hardest part is that in my head I still picture him as he was when I was a child. This means that each time I see him I get a shock. I notice his eyes have lost some of their vibrancy, his hands shake, he struggles to stand and his memory is failing. My Grandpa is a man that prided himself on his exceptional memory, so this is perhaps his biggest blow.

It is with his failing health in mind that my Mother purchased tickets for a cruise. We are all starting to understand that we need to keep creating memories, and cherish the time that we have.

It was a beautiful day. We traveled into the city and boarded the boat. We were lucky to receive a table directly next to large windows. The boat was rather full (perhaps a little too full) and had been mostly booked by Asian tourist groups. We were also lucky enough to be invited up first to get our meal. The food was nothing flash. A pasta, stir fried noodles, spring rolls and Curry puffs, stir fried vegetables (mainly cabbage), cold meats, salad and prawns. It was filling, and tasted good.

The main event was really the view, and time with family. We were kept entertained by my daughter and nephews cries of delight and wonder. It was rather special to see the city through their eyes, with delighted cries of ' Look! A boat! Look! Water!'.

Sometimes we just have to take time out of our busy lives and spend a relaxing day together. These are moments we remember. Before we know it, life will pass us by, and we will never get that time back.