Sunday, May 11, 2014

"The Little Things"

 "Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." 
-Robert Brault

Every Mother's Day in recent years, I've drawn my mom a cartoon card depicting a good childhood memory. Usually it involves my usual humour and self-deprication, but also with a little bit of sentimentality, because I've always been a big sap about these things. I appreciate all the more what my mom has done for me and my siblings now that I have kids, and I figure I'll tell her that now, since kids don't always say it at the time.

My best memories of growing up were always those "little things" that are actually BIG things upon reflection, which I think is true for most people. 

One of my very favourites is on those snow days (back when they existed-- remember snow days?) Mom would be just as excited that we didn't have to go to school as we were. She couldn't wait to tell us and spend the day with us. On such mornings, we'd all pile into my parents' bed with her to chat and joke around in our jammies for a good long time before getting up.

She remembers this too, but other times I'll remind Mom of these kinds of things, and she won't even recall that she'd done them. Just goes to show how certain things stand out to kids that you may not realize at the time.

I hope my kids will grow up and have good "little things" memories with me, too. Curious as to what they'll be. Maybe they'll share with me one day what stood out to them, if they're at all big saps like their mom.

Me, my sister and brother enjoying a "Snow Day" with Mom

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1 comment:

  1. LynnMay 12, 2014 2:10 pm

    Aw, I love that. I used to really worry that the "little things" my kids remembered would be bad things - moments when I yelled at them or when I said no to something they wanted. It was hard, but I had to mentally reset and just say that I was going to try for as many good little moments as I could, and hope it would all even out in the end. SO happy to hear your scaled tipped towards the good. And I cannot agree more - having kids of your own makes you truly, completely, understand what your own parents gave to you. It's a wonderful perspective!

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