What Children Remember

I was thinking about things kids remember today. 

It started with Memorial Day. See, I have my kiddos make a band for our flower pots every year. They pick a grandma or a grandpa and they write a letter, draw a picture... something for our loved one who has passed.

We make 6. One for my momma, my grandparents on both sides. The hubby's one set of grandparents and his one grandfather. And then my nephew. 

I love it. It involves them and we talk about our loved ones. 

L kept asking me questions about my grandparents--which was awesome. Sadly, I had little to tell him though. Grandpa B died when I was 2 months old and Grandpa B when I was 7. 

I don't remember much. So I opted for stories I'd heard my mom tell.

Still, it got me thinking--what will my children remember?

One thing that broke my heart when my mom died was that I knew from personal experience my children would not remember much about a woman they absolutely adored.

Thinking back on my own life I came to this conclusion:

Children remember things that were repetitious and dramatic events.

Take Grandma B for instance... here I am with here... it's not the prettiest picture...

She was a sweetheart--despite this lousy picture of the two of us, there aren't many. My favorite is one of us hugging, both in perm curlers, but I don't know what's happened to it. 

I don't remember much about Grandma B. I remember she hugged-- a lot (repetition). 

And I remember when she died. 

Like I said, I was 7. 

I remember my oldest sister telling us we needed to clean the house for mom so she had nothing to worry about. 

I did not want to clean. 

I was grouchy about it. 

I remember mom and dad getting home and everyone crying in the living room. Well, almost everyone. There are 4 of us kids. The two oldest, mom and dad were crowded in a group hug. I was in a doorway, unsure what to do. I could see most of my family hugging in the living room and then my sister next in age to me in the kitchen, washing dishes and crying.

Drama.

This is Grandma Bessie. 

Another attractive picture, eh?

I was older when she passed and I have several memories. 

This one doesn't showcase my best moment. 

I was turning 10 and I had to share my birthday with Grandma Bes. 

You can see on my face how thrilled I was about it.

I would sort of like to reach through the picture and spank myself.

I just thought as long as I was blogging lousy grandma + Jen pictures, I might as well add this one and tell you all what a bum I was.

Anyhoo--I sure hope my sweet children will have plenty of good repetitions to remember. And I hope I'm a loving support during those dramatic times.

Memories are priceless and irreplaceable.

They can't burn in a  fire or drown in a flood.

I hope and pray I can make some pretty fabulous ones for my littles.