Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Looking Back - Memories From My Childhood

Memory is a funny thing. Personally, I'm great at memorizing lists of facts and, then, spitting them back out. It's one reason I made good grades in school. However, I'm terrible at remembering names. If you introduced yourself thirty seconds ago, it's likely that I have already forgotten your moniker. I might remember that it started with a particular letter, but the whole of it escapes me. 

Likewise, I'm pretty good at remembering schedules, but would really have to concentrate to remember what I ate for lunch yesterday. I could rattle off a list of all the birthdays of my closest relatives and friends (and it's a lot!), but I always double check recipes for fear that I will forget some key ingredient even if it's something I have made hundreds of times. 

When it comes to long term memories, things get even trickier. Some long term memories can be extremely vivid. However, time makes some seem fuzzy. There are still others we remember one way and then discover that perhaps we are remembering them incorrectly.

The memories I have of my childhood are all those things- some vivid, some fuzzy, some that I remember differently from others. I'm certain there are some things I have forgotten altogether, but these are some of the things I remember clearly despite the passage of time.

I remember playing with my dolls - lots of dolls. They were my favorite toy and I had lots of them. I can remember all four of the Cabbage Patch kids I had and all their names as well as a few other favorite dolls and their names. I remember the cradle that sat in my bedroom for years holding my dolls. I remember lining them up just so every night when I went to bed leaving just enough room for myself right in the middle.


I remember playing. I played grocery store. Sometimes I was the mommy pushing my doll through the store in our kitchen in a toy shopping cart. Sometimes I was the cashier, ringing up the "customers" who came through. I loved dressing up and wearing my mom's shoes.

I also remember playing shoe store, lining up my mom's shoes and taking her play money as she paid for the shoes she had chosen (again).

I remember riding my bike in endless circles around our driveway as I listened to Alvin and the Chipmunks sing the Beatles on a cassette that played inside my Walkman. I also remember riding repeatedly through my brother's makeshift basketball court one day and him throwing the basketball at my bike causing me to wreck and skin my knee. I still have the scar. 


What are you favorite #ChildhoodMemories ? @TheGoldenSpoons
I remember playing wedding consultant. I have no idea why I was so interested in weddings (other than the fancy dresses) because it is not something that gets me excited now. However, then, my mom had bought me several Bride magazines. I had notebooks and some of those carbon copy receipt pads that I used to take notes on when I met with my imaginary bridal clients in my office (i.e. my bedroom).

I remember sledding down the big hill when it snowed and trudging all the way back up so we could go down again. I often rode down on my dad's back or sharing the sled with my brother. I remember my mom making us hot chocolate and tomato soup when we came back inside.

I remember sitting around the Christmas tree every Christmas Eve night reading the story of Jesus' birth from the book of Luke together as a family. (A tradition I continue with my own family now.) I also remember peeking out from my bedroom door down the hall toward the living room on Christmas morning to see if I could make out what gifts Santa brought. My brother and I would wait impatiently for the clocks to get to the time when we were allowed to wake our parents and find out if our gift guesses were correct. 
This picture is terribly blurry and I have no idea what that is I was clutching under my chin, but, obviously, it was something I treasured at the time.
I remember going to my MamMaw's every Saturday - going with my dad to pick her up at the hair salon from her weekly appointment because she didn't drive, herself. I remember she always let me pick out a treat from the candy shelves at the checkout of the convenience store that was next to the "beauty shop." I remember her house- the brown couch, the orange-y rug, and the black rotary phone. 

I remember my PapPaw's house, too. The classic 70's shelves that let you see through from the den to the kitchen. I remember how I loved to walk through his garden with him and pick the ripe vegetables - especially the cucumbers and the "Tommy-Toe" tomatoes as we used to call them, even though I didn't (and still don't) care for either of those veggies. 

I remember family dinners and family TV nights watching the Cosby Show or the Dukes of Hazard. I remember laughter and love. Some other memories may have become blurry or dim over the years, but these memories are strong ones that I carry with me everywhere I go. They have shaped me and guided me through my 38 (almost 39) years. They have made me the parent I am to my girls and, therefore, the parents my girls will be to their own children. 

Some memories fade, but some stay forever ingrained in our minds and our hearts.


What are your most vivid childhood memories?

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This post was written as part of my friend Dana's Who I am Project. Head over to her blog to check out the project and link up your own post! 

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