One memory I have from growing up was Sunday drives. We did not take them every Sunday, but I do remember taking them. One special thing we used to do was go through the MacDonalds drive through and we would each get an ice-cream and a fry. We would dip the fries in the ice-cream. To this day I can close my eyes and "taste" how refreshing that felt in the backseat squished with my sister and my brother....There was always giggling, I am sure some fighting too, but I only remember it as a pleasant experience, a fond memory.
I woke up today thinking about the "fun" things I have done for my kids over the years. I put fun in quotations because while I think it was fun, they honestly do not agree with me....yet....but my hope is that someday when they are older and grown, they will look back on those memories fondly as I did with memories from my own childhood.
One of my examples is that I make playlists for special occasions/holidays. Today is Canada Day so I only play music by Canadian artists. It might seem like a silly or small gesture but it gives a little something special to the day....Just like the ice-cream in fries....I would love if they look back and reminence while creating their own traditions with their own families. Even if not the same ones I tried to create.
Would I say I am a "cool" mom? Nope. I am pretty sure my kids think I am just as lame as I thought my mom was. But I am now an adult, and can look back and appreciate all those little extra special things she did for us. Not even realizing how important I would find them someday. But I do.
I don't do these things so that my kids will appreciate them (although I can hope I have instilled enough of a soul of appreciation within themselves, even if just through my actions), but I do them so that I won't look back on my parenting journey and regret that I did not even try to make times special, which is very easy to do...since the kids might not realize just how special those times are, until they are gone.
I could write a whole blog or two just on my special memories from growing up as all as another one about all the times I did my best to create them for my family....and maybe someday I will, but for today, as we enjoy the festivities AND all things Canadian....I will remember how grateful I am to my parents, as well as our country....we have the freedom to celebrate and create memories that can last a lifetime.
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