Peaks.

“In this life, we work so hard to get the kinks out, we forget to put the peaks in.”

– Chip Heath, The Power of Moments

We were at a lovely restaurant last Wednesday night with white tablecloths, and some sincere people who matter a lot to us. We were surprised by who was in the room and who got up to say lovely things about Jamie. Jamie said thank you. There was prayer for new beginnings, acknowledgment of God’s faithfulness, a moment to mark a change.

Jamie is transitioning from one career to another. We could have simply marked the moment with a family toast to his new job, and his colleagues could have settled for something reasonable like a thank you note and gift card. But I’m so grateful to them for creating this outstanding transition moment; naming what mattered about how he spent the last 16 years of his life.

We spend much of our days “working out the kinks”, and pushing forward to what is next, we don’t always reflect and celebrate how we got to where we are. In the book The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact, authors Chip and Dan Heath use a Disney theme park visit as one illustration of “peaks”. Peaks are memorable and meaningful experiences that stand out in our lives. A day at Disney usually includes things that are less than ideal: navigating volatile tourists, standing in long, winding lines of people with sweat dripping down the back of your neck, and so on. But we tend to remember only the peaks – getting soaked on the log ride, the light parade, your son falling asleep in the stroller with both arms slung around a stuffed Mickey Mouse. We forget the frustrations, and we remember the day fondly. These moments are often characterized by emotional intensity, and they imprint in our memory.  

How can we intentionally create these “peaks” that will stand out from the general flatness of our regular weeks and months?

“Beware the soul-sucking power of reasonableness.”

– Chapter 4 of The Power of Moments

On Labor Day this past weekend, we spent Sunday at a beach in Frankfort, Michigan with cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents.  It was sunny and windy with huge waves. We worked up enough of an appetite that we emptied a mountain of pizza boxes at a local park near the beach for dinner. 

But what about dessert?! It was decided to add one more indulgence and walk a few blocks to The Scoop, one of Frankfurt’s neighborhood ice cream shops. The Scoop features an expansive picture window across its storefront displaying over-the-top waffle cones dipped in chocolate, M&Ms and sprinkles. We all admired the cones as we waited to order.

When my 14-year-old asked if he could have his ice cream in one of those cones, I was inclined to answer, “You are getting ice cream, isn’t that enough? Those crazy cones are totally unnnecessary.”

But why not? A big festive cone like that is not an everyday occurrence…it’s special. We are all here together, enjoying this spectacular holiday. We’re transitioning from the end of a good thing (SUMMER!) to the beginning of an unknown thing (high school). Yes, he got to enjoy the cone, against my practical nature.

The dinner for Jamie last Wednesday night felt similarly over-the-top. Unnecessary, too much! But what a joy it was. Thank you to his colleagues for putting the peak in and commemorating Jamie’s job transition with such beauty and generosity. Thank you for acknowledging the faithfulness of God in all of it.

What are you taking time to reflect on and celebrate in this transition from summer to fall? I suggest making a big deal out of something and saying yes to something “unreasonable.”

“That is a charge for all of us: to defy the forgettable flatness of everyday work and life by creating a few precious moments.”

– The Power of Moments, Pg. 265