Life is unpredictable, and even though it can be wild and chaotic (and downright stressful!) at times, Terri Irwin is reminding us to cherish each day anyway. The wildlife conservationist shared a childhood photo of her kids Bindi Irwin, now 26, and Robert Irwin, now 21, with their late dad Steve Irwin on Wednesday, imploring fans to “treasure” life with our loved ones.
In the resurfaced photo, the family of four stands in front of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, all bundled up in winter coats. The Crocodile Hunter is dressed in all blue as he smiles with his arms around a young Bindi, wearing purple. Terri smiles by his side in a light blue coat, hugging baby Robert in his red-and-black winter suit. They are all smiling with the beautiful mountain in the background, and it’s such a peaceful family moment.
“Incredible memories of so many family adventures. Treasure every moment. #InternationalMountainDay,” Terri captioned the photo, which wasn’t taken long before Steve tragically died in 2006, when Bindi was 8 and Robert was just 3. We’re bawling because if anyone knows the importance of living in the moment and making the most of each day, it’s the Irwins — and they’ve continued to do so over the years with their incredible conservation work at Australia Zoo and beyond.
Bindi, who is now a mom herself to 3-year-old daughter Grace Warrior with husband Chandler Powell, commented on the photo, “So thankful for these incredible moments spent together. Thank you.❤️”
Back in May, Terri shared how she carried on after her husband died. “Being a mum is the best part of my life,” she wrote on Instagram. “When Steve passed, it was not a burden being a single mum, it was actually my children that gave me purpose, courage, and happiness every day.” She continued, “Bindi and Robert are the reason I can stand strong, meet every challenge, and embrace every adventure. As a mother, I am truly blessed.” Aww!
She also helped her kids process the trauma and grief that came with losing their dad at such young ages. Robert told The Australian Women’s Weekly earlier this year, “When you are three, you don’t really even quite know what death means. Whereas for Mum and Bindi, it was pure, unfiltered devastation and loss. And it’s the same loss for me but in a different way.” He continued, “So, the way they helped me to navigate my life, I am so grateful for it. I will always feel like I am missing a part of myself, but I never feel like I missed out on anything.”
Bindi previously told SheKnows that she has the “best memories” as a kid growing up in Australia Zoo. “It was so incredibly special that [my parents] always set aside time to just have fun,” she told us. “I was always running around in the creek or running around with animals or climbing a tree. … I feel very, very blessed that I got that time with my family to run around as a wild child. And it was so much fun! It’s so much fun to have parents that just jump in with you and go.”
“I think my dad was a very good example,” Bindi continued. “What you saw on television was really him. He just had this hurricane-like energy; he would always just pick us up and off we’d go on an adventure together. And it was the very best.”
Before you go, click here to see Bindi Irwin’s sweetest mommy milestones!
