We have been visiting a small version of Memory Lane today. My oldest son, who will be 14 years old soon, found his “Baby Time Capsule” in the closet. A dear friend of mine gave me the time capsule when I was pregnant. I even had a picture of me holding the time capsule, and I taped the picture inside the memory book.
Well, my son really wants to open a letter written to him by his great-grandma. I told him he has to wait until he is 18. He was able to meet his great-grandma in January 2000, when he was only four years old. She passed away in December 2003, so I believe that he had a grand opportunity in meeting her only once.
My son agreed to wait on reading the letter. But, all of the kids proceeded to look through the contents of the capsule. I hope that’s not a bad omen. Inside we found some baby shoes, two baby dedication Bibles, their hospital “take home” outfit, some old, empty bottles labeled “baby shampoo” and “baby wash.” There was also a wooden plaque from when my second born son won honorable mention in a cute baby contest.
Sometimes I wish we had waited to open the capsule, but I am glad that we have opened it. We have been able to read some of the “predictions” I had made regarding technology and world events. We read about the price of gasoline, the price of a postage stamp, and the price of a loaf of bread. I even made a list of the winners and successes of the sports industry. The only thing I didn’t clip and keep was a current fashion magazine photo.
All in all, the walk down memory lane, which only transported us back to 1995, was fun and worthwhile. We were able to laugh, share special moments of closeness, and just learn more about our family history. I think the time we spent allowed our children to realize how much we have invested in them. I cannot wait until we open the time capsule again, perhaps in the correct time of four years from now. We will take a picture with our “digital” camera of my 18 year old son holding his precious gift he received as a newborn.
Making a memory, leaving a legacy… that’s what it’s all about.
Becoming Process Driven 