“Mommy. mommy, show me when I was a baby!” One of our daily discussions around the table at supper time had meandered its way to the birth of my first baby. My husband had been present for the birth and he was describing the sense of wonderment he felt as the baby was pushed out. I was describing how afraid I was to look after the tiny human that was now my responsibly.
Photo credit: Lowlight (Plug)
Dishes were cleared off the table, and albums were brought out. We looked at the first picture of our baby: the print out given when we went for the first ultra sound, the photos taken after the birth, the cards sent by well-wishers. My girls listened attentively as the memories came out in our words: the memories of the first baby, and then the second. We looked at pictures of baby girls growing up to be toddlers; pictures of baby girls in the bath, eating, at play, outside in the sand, on the laps of all those that love them.
Photo credit: Krissy and Dennis
That evening we brought out not only the cherished photos of a time gone by; but also the cherished memories we had in our minds. And while looking at the past, we created another memory that I cherish: a time that we spent together as a family without watching television, or going our separate ways to the computer, the bedroom, the kitchen. I cherish these moments as I know that there will be a time when my children will move towards creating their own cherished moments with their family.
What are some of the cherished memories you have created with your family?
(This post was inspired by the prompt, cherished, suggested by Lisa-Jo Baker.)
© Colline Kook-Chun, 2013
Enjoy! Time flies. We can’t believe ours are now 28, 26, and 22.
When my girls were babies and said that to me, I never really paid attention. But now they are in their pre-teens, I realise that time does go by so quickly and that they grow up too fast for my liking. I am learning to enjoy and savour each moment of their lives.
Beautiful! I love looking through scrapbooks and remembering when my babies where babies. And I cherish every minute that we are together looking through them.
At moments like those, I am thankful I took the time to make them. Now I need to work on some for when they are older
Those are the best nights – when we get to spend time bonding with our family.
I love them. Friday and Saturday are the best as there is no time limit to the amount of time we can spend together: no school the next day, no homework to complete, no definite bedtime.
Hi Colline
You touch a very important thing with this post. Tv, computers and many other things can steal moments we could have made cherished memories of. But what is something that bothers me quite often, is when you do spend time together, the person is listening to you, but the heart and the mind are absent!
Much love XX
Mia
That tends not to happen in our family as, since the girls were small, we have made the habit of eating together at least once a day and then spending time at the table talking afterwards. Now they are getting older, the time often stretches to over an hour if we let it
the personal individual family history should be more important to us than TV news, yes – and photography helps a lot to manifest a family history with all those important emotions …
It is certainly more cheerful and inspiring than what we see on the news. And it certainly makes my evening
A beautiful story Colline, those cherished memories are what makes a family circle complete, sadly they become fewer and fewer as the young ones grow up and venture out into the world of technology, its great to find time to revive these special occassions.
Ian aka Emu
My husband and I try to do things as a family because the technology intrudes so much on our lives. Our children are not teens yet but we are hoping that what we have now will continue during their adolescence.
A wonderful post, Colline. These are truly special moments.
I treasure them are are more special to me than any material gift.
Funny. My son is now 27. Just yesterday he texted me copies of pictures of him when he was 3 and 5, wearing batman pajamas in one. Our memories of his childhood are precious, as his dad passed away when he was 9. We try to keep remembering. One day he told me he can’t remember what his dad sounded like. That made me sad, but still, I hold on to the memories.
These memories are important to keep alive as they are a part of what has made us. I like that your 27 year old son is texting you
Like your kids, mine love hearing stories about them and how they changed our lives. They like telling me that they ate my brain when they were born. They like looking at the their pictures too. I guess our (yours, mine) stories and memories give the children security and comfort.
I think they do. And also a sense of where they come from (for example, they never tire of hearing how my husband and I met; or of the stories of our own childhood).
From one person who did not hear a lot of that sort of stories, that is truly wonderful. How much happier I would be if I have been fed happy family stories.
So sad how many families simply don’t have those magic moments.
I can SO recommend having a daughter who moved her husband in instead of moving out, so that we get to have a second round of them with the grandkids.
I think that is extra special – for both you and the grandkids. Nothing like having your family around to enrich your life.
You truly are blessed.
Yes I am, and I am grateful for this everyday.
What a touching post Colline. You are so right that you must treasure these moments. As they become teens, those moments are even more fleeting. What a lovely walk down your memory’s lane. Thank you for sharing such a special evening with your family with us.
Thank you Geni.
It is funny when they want to hear all about them being born. What it was like, how we coped. No doubt they will all be dredged up again when they have children of their own. I really don’t want to be like my mother, I would ask her a question about me and she would say, I don’t remember.
I actually like talking about the memories. Keeps them alive for me too so that I do remember. You think hard and long enough, the memories do come back.
Last Xmas, my mom put together a beautiful collection of photos in an album for my daughter of her childhood. It was my favorite moment during the holidays, and perhaps my daughter’s too when she opened her gift with delight. Together we sat and looked at the snaps taken so many years ago, shared thoughts and memories, laughed and teared up. Lovely.
What a precious gift – and such a thoughtful one – that will be treasured for many years to come.