image via black eiffelI don’t’ remember all that much from when I was five.
I vaguely recall learning to tie my shoes during nap period in kindergarten (my teacher’s name was Miss Kitty Bankston…how awesome is that?) I also remember trips with my grandparents, loving Strawberry Shortcake and a few other fuzzy but significant moments, but they are fleeting at best.
This realization makes me sad, as I ponder how much of our current day-to-day the girls will recall 30 years from now…How this period that is so filled with significance for Bryan and me will just be a vague, blurry memory to them. But that doesn’t stop me from relentlessly trying to create those epic moments that will be burned on their brains forever.
Like last night.
Audrey and I have been talking about the election for months. The importance, the impact, the historical significance…I’m not sure how much she’s fully registered, but earlier this week while we were out on a walk, she tallied the Obama signs vs. the McCain signs in our neighbors' lawns and had a million questions about why some people were voting for the old guy (as she called him -- no prompting from me I promise) vs. her “sweet tart”…
So last night we set up election night camp in the den, complete with blankets and pillows and popcorn and green tea ice cream – prepped for the long haul. She sadly didn’t stay awake long enough to see the victory and the speech (that was the memory I was hoping would be imprinted on her little mind forever), but the minute she opened her eyes this morning, she asked if Obama had won, and I was happy to report that yes he had
And if she doesn’t remember all of this, I know for sure I will…
17 comments:
Memories seem to be those special ones that "we as parents" make that EXTRA step to make special-don't you think! She will remember last night- and i bet through the years the memory will change as she hears you and Bryan tell the story over again and again...and then one day she will be telling her kids how great that "speech" was! Isn't that how it works too?!
My first memory was dust out of all things. But it was the most beautiful dust in the world when the sun hits it through a window- all just floating around like magic. I love that memory- and it's all mine!
I bet your glad your guy won...we were thinking about you!
:)
I love this post and I love how you think...I thought these same thoughts girl. bittersweet. more sweet than bitter. xo
gosh, that brought tears to my eyes, once again! I love that children are interested and your little girl is surely a doll.
one by one, each of us woke up at some random dark hour of our night {your day} to check the computer.
refresh. and a gasp. he's winning, mom! he's winning, dad!
this one's a keeper. xoxo.
Beautiful post. Keep trying, of course, but you never know what moments will burn into their memories. When I think of mine, many of them are truly simple everyday moments: making trail mix with my mom, building forts out of lawn chairs, reading to my kindergarten class on the second day after my teacher learned i could read...
what a sweet post. i too hope that my children will look back at this time with the same excitement and awe as my husband and i will. despite the fact that my baby won't even be born until april i still hope they will be proud to say they went to the polls on nov 4th, 2008...even if it was in utero :)
SO sweet. thanks for sharing.
Did you partake in green tea ice cream???? My favorite!!!
This is so inspiring :) I love that you've wanted to help her understand how important this election was! I ended up feeling so excited for our future generations that I called up my sleeping pregnant sister just to say that "WE WON! and I'm so excited about the world Cricket will be born into!"
Incredible!
This was such a joy to read. I share your commitment to making moments special, as well as your pain that many will never be remembered.
i don't know why, but this post totally got me all choked up! thanks for sharing =)
great post, joslyn. i too have memories of strawberry shortcake and my monchichi doll and being tucked into bed, and a mouse in my closet...
i started a written journal for each of my boys, just writing down small little memories for them - like nicholas singing "shoefly don't bother me" the other day. i was proud to put in their journals that we had a new president who was the first african american president. they don't get the significance now but will when i give them these journals in early adulthood.
joslyn, your blog will serve as that reminder for your girls of all those beautiful small moments you created!
great post, joslyn. i too have memories of strawberry shortcake and my monchichi doll and being tucked into bed, and a mouse in my closet...
i started a written journal for each of my boys, just writing down small little memories for them - like nicholas singing "shoefly don't bother me" the other day. i was proud to put in their journals that we had a new president who was the first african american president. they don't get the significance now but will when i give them these journals in early adulthood.
joslyn, your blog will serve as that reminder for your girls of all those beautiful small moments you created!
Oh.....how wonderful and lovely. How much do I love that she was calling Obama her "sweet tart" ? What a wonderful night and I bet she remembers some of it for sure!
xo
Melissa
This has inspired me to start a journal for my daughter. Today.
What a sweet story! Bryan and I were just talking about how Obama will be the first president our kids will remember (at least C-Man will). He obviously won't remember election night, but he will never remember a time when there hadn't been a black president. Pretty cool.
Im guessing thats your daughter, so, how old is she? If you dont mind me asking.
Mmm green tea ice cream sounds wonderful, though I've never heard of it
Post a Comment