"Remember When..."

This is a blog post by Blaire Brachfeld, NFI's Special Assistant to the President. Blaire concludes NFI's "Get Out: Hit the Great Outdoors with Your Kids This Summer" campaign by sharing memories from her childhood.

National Fatherhood Initiative’s "Get Out! Hit the Great Outdoors with Your Kids This Summer" campaign in July motivated me to ask my parents some of their favorite memories from when my sister and I were little. My sister is five years older than I am, so many of the memories she and my parents have, I only remember through pictures and stories. In my family, every story begins with “remember when…”

“Remember when we went to Yellowstone and all mom wanted to do was see a bear?” My mom did end up seeing a bear, on our last day at the national park, near a wonderful spot called Minerva Terrace. I remember, mostly through photographs, how breathtakingly gorgeous it was there.

“Remember when we were at the Grand Tetons and there were field mice in our room?” I can recall a lot of shrieking from my mom and sister. My dad, being the practical man he is told the front desk about the vermin and was informed in the sweetest western twang that field mice are to the west what ants are to the east. So for a week, we coexisted with the mice - we even named them!

“Remember when we rode horses down the Grand Canyon?” My parents to this day make fun of the fact that for some strange reason my 60-pounds was put on the biggest horse of the bunch. I don’t remember much of the ride. I can’t comment on the grandeur of the view. But I do remember that my parents were so proud of me because I wasn’t afraid.

My family has thousands of “remember when” stories, most of which are centered on the time that my family spent together, exploring the world. I may not recall each moment but I certainly remember the feeling of being with the people who love me the most, with the natural beauty of this planet as a backdrop.

Sometimes, when I am alone I can still envision watching the night sky in the secluded deserts of Arizona with just my dad, my mom, and my sister. I see a shooting star blaze by with my eyes closed, and I think, “Remember when I was the luckiest girl in the world?” Yeah, I remember that one. I still am.