Four of us stayed across two rooms. It was a girls’ trip we put on the calendar the prior year. We jumped on planes and met in another state for a 55-hour whirlwind weekend. The first morning was an early one, and it was late when we collapsed into bed. We were up and going early the next morning, and it was past dark when we returned to the hotel for a quick sleep before morning return flights. On the way to the hotel, the girls staying in the other room shared their experience with a light in their room.

They had an adjustable bedside reading lamp, which was part of a wall mounted fixture in between their beds. They couldn’t turn it off the previous night. They tried everything and gave in, pointing it to the ceiling to minimize the light. It wasn’t enough, and in the wee hours of the morning, one of them pointed it directly against the wall to limit the light to a small ring.

My roommate and I thought it was odd, because not only did we not have the same problem but we didn’t even have the same light. We went to their room to see if we could find a remedy. I walked to the light and noticed two switches. The first one had no impact, but the second one immediately turned off the annoying light.

The looks on my friends’ faces were priceless. We all laughed. They had tried everything, except the switch. One assumed the other had tried it. Problem solved. Memory made. Laughs shared—and continued once my roommate and I returned to our room, curious about the light we had, because how many hotel rooms have different light fixtures? Why didn’t we have the same setup?

We did. We just hadn’t noticed.

We all failed at light management. Was it a big deal? Of course not. But it was yet another reason that weekend to smile and enjoy making a memory. It reminded me that memories of times together can be about the silliest moments. It reminded me we don’t always remember all the moments of time together. We simply can’t. Some rise to the top for odd reasons. Others rise to the top for the depth and impact. I’m grateful for the friendships. I’m thankful for the moments. I’m thankful for the memories.

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