My husband came back yesterday from a week-long trip, with face tanned and looking relaxed. He had flown to another state to my oldest son’s house and then they drove north a day and a half to a remote lodge to go fly fishing.

They had been talking about doing a fishing trip together for about four years. Originally the plan was Canada, like a fishing trip we did with our youngest two kids about seven years ago where we fished at a lake and stayed in a cabin that was only accessible by a float plane. With the Canadian border closed though due to COVID, they looked within the U.S. for a similar trip. Though neither of them had ever fly fished before, they found a lodge that specialized in that type of fishing, complete with guide and gear and lessons.

Yesterday, my husband downloaded off his phone and then showed me all the pictures he took. I had already seen some of them that he texted back during the trip. The fishing lodge was as one would expect a remote lodge to be…wood based, both inside and outside, very homey and looked welcoming. The food was apparently wonderful; while I was dining on rotisserie chicken, (I took a break from cooking), they enjoyed beef loin and cheesecake.

The views were spectacular, the air was cool and the weather was perfect. They caught just one fish the first day and nothing the second day…wind kept them from being able to catch anything. My husband sent back a text that said “pray for fish” tomorrow; he especially wanted our son to have the fun of catching fish since going to all the effort to get there. Prayers were answered and they caught about forty fish between them. Just to be clear, they were barbless hooks and all of the fish were caught, carefully held for a picture and then released.

The trip was special but not because of the fish or the food or the scenic views, though all were great. It was special because a Dad got to spend a week with his 32-year-old son. Our son is married now to a young woman we adore; they have a house now and jobs; we hope soon to hear baby news before too long. When they have a baby though, life is going to get more complicated. This was probably a once a lifetime event for my husband and son.

They are going to talk of this trip for years. Someday when we are gone from this earth, my son is going to remember that fly fishing trip with his dad. It was never about the fish; it was always about the bonding and the memories.

It was twenty-six years ago this month that I flew with my mother to Korea to bring home my oldest daughter. It was the only trip we ever took where it was just the two of us. I still remember the wonderful time we had together, eating in different restaurants, taking in some sightseeing and then the last day where we picked up my new 4-month-old daughter and flew back to the states. Next month, my mom will have been gone for five years. I still miss her; I always will, but I will always have all the memories, including the trip together.

I think that memories of time together with loved ones are the most precious gifts we get in life.