There would be times when my dad would pick up his keys and say, “C’mon son.” I knew not where we were going, but I knew it was good to go.

Those kinds of trips were motivated by his hankering to go to a nearby hardware store to pick up a tool or one of those new-fangled string trimmers that were called WeedEaters back then. Sometimes there were other stores, but Wagner’s Hardware, Homer’s and others of their ilk were the most common destinations for the “C’mon son” invitation.

Invariably, once we got out of the car, I’d start my brisk walk to the store and within a few steps I would hear, “Slow down and I’ll walk with you.” Oh, the chance to do that again.

That scenario reminds me of life nowadays. Everyone is in a hurry.  Kids, friends, spouses, colleagues. Everyone. How much richer would the moments be if we slowed down to walk together, literally or figuratively. We could chat or simply enjoy each other’s presence; we could observe what is around us and soak it all in; we could hold conversations or hold hands; we could put the phones away and share the sunshine.

“Slow down…with you” speaks volumes. It also reveals treasures born in moments in the company of others and remembered for lifetimes.