The Things Kids Remember

Ask a child what they remember about a family day out, and they might tell you about the snacks on the way there. Or the joke their brother kept repeating. Or the moment the lights went down and the whole room got quiet. Kids have a way of picking out the little details that made the day feel like theirs.

When a child is critically ill, so much of the family calendar can revolve around appointments and treatment. At Casey Cares, we help families make time for things kids can get excited about. Sometimes that means going somewhere they’ve never been. Sometimes it’s a movie night at home, with everyone piled onto the couch and somebody already asking for more popcorn.

For Owen, one of those experiences was throwing out the first pitch at a baseball game. Isaac got to see Sesame Street Live, where familiar characters stepped onto a real stage. And Ember and Ashlyn spent part of their day up close with a capybara. Any of those outings could give a family a story to tell later. The detail that makes it into the retelling is up to them.

There’s joy in the lead-up, too. Picking which pajamas to wear for movie night can be part of the fun. So can counting down the days until a show or wondering out loud what a capybara will look like in person. A plan like that gives siblings something to get excited about together and gives parents a chance to join in.

Months later, the story might come up at the dinner table or on the drive to school. One person starts with “Remember when?” and someone else jumps in with a detail everybody else forgot. That’s one of our favorite things about making memories together. Everyone gets to bring their own piece of the day home.