Home movies trigger lost memories
Home movies trigger lost memories. We capture our moments in videos and photographs so when we are older we can remember what love looks like.
On Mother’s Day, we brought out some old movies featuring my two eldest, starting when they were three-years-old and four months, respectively, and continued to when my second son was two years old. Those moments captured on film reminded us of the trials of hair washing and the easy times of teaching t-ball and marking first steps. We celebrated birthdays and saw ourselves and family members in our younger years, noticing hairstyles, glasses styles, and clothing styles.
What were we thinking moments
I considered questions like why did I let them run around in their underwear so much and how did I let them walk up those tall outdoor steps with no side guards. They could have tumbled off and been severely injured.
Human nature prompts us to evaluate ourselves, I guess. Depending on our frame of mind, we may see the sweet and happy times or dwell on the hard parts. Don’t dwell on the hard parts.
Don’t cast rose-colored lenses on memories, and don’t dwell on your mistakes. The past is over. Be grateful for the blessings and the lessons.
Reminders of lost memories
We joked about sensitive scalps and laughed at how babies love the empty boxes more than the gift. The drooling baby, the energetic tyke—still precious over 20 years later. Parts of me grieve the loss.
Time flies by. Some lessons just keep repeating. Why are we always in a hurry to get through one stage rather than just enjoying the moment? Why do we pressure ourselves to do-do-do rather than just be-be-be?
I used to sit in the sandbox making tractor engine sounds and grab squealing babies to blow raspberries. Patience seeped away the older I got and the more I let ideals of the culture steal the moment. “I can’t play until I finish this.” I grieve that I succumbed to that mindset.
Did how we spend our time change?
I knew babies grew up fast. Still I felt driven because time disappeared so fast. Here I am, still driven, but the babies are all grown up. Would I do things differently? Maybe. I don’t know. I see it as a common malady.
There’s no need to rush each moment. Life sweeps past even when it seems to move sloth-like. Try to forget the past and embrace your now. Don’t curse the interruptions.
Capture memories in photographs, videos, journal entries. You think you won’t forget, but you will. And some day, you’ll sit around and view them, and relive the day. You’ll see one thing that remains steadfast: love.
Love covers a multitude of mistakes. If you look long enough, all you see is the love.
What long lost memories have you remembered recently? Please share. Our memories matter because each of us matters.
10 Replies to “Home movies trigger lost memories”
Sweet memories! I remember thinking each day felt so long but then I’d wonder how the week went by so fast. We were just reminiscing with our son about when he entered the Marines 15 years ago this month. ❤️
It’s mind-boggling how time passes so fast, isn’t it? Is your son still in the Marines? It’s nice to sit down and talk and share memories of our experiences and to notice things that have changed and things that are somewhat the same. Thanks for sharing, Mary.
A question on a recent social media post asked if readers remembered any funny or interesting wedding stories. That question reminded me of my middle sister(Carol)’s wedding. I was the flower girl. I was 5 years old and was very upset that she didn’t take me with her when she was married. I thought I was getting married, too. 🙂 Sweet memories.
I smiled at your memory. I imagine your mom had a bit of explaining to do to calm you down. 🙂 The summer my second son was going to college, his youngest sister cried through her entire birthday. I worried about her being sick but could find nothing wrong. We had taken a family day trip. It was supposed to be a wonderful family memory, but she was so upset, it didn’t turn out the way we envisioned. Turns out, she thought he was going to college that week and didn’t want him to go, but she still had a few weeks to spend with him. I had a hard time making her understand that she’d still see him on weekends. That was a season of lots of tears. Your sister’s wedding made a deep impression on you since you remember it still when you were so young. 🙂 Thanks for sharing, Melissa.
We love viewing the old videos, too. I’m so glad we have them. Precious memories!
Yes. I wish I’d made more. Thanks for taking time to share, Shari.
I’ll be pulling out some old videos soon I think! You’re right about dwelling on mistakes – I’m good at that! I’ll be sure to watch them while looking for the blessings 🙂
Have fun, Deb, watching your videos. I don’t know why we dwell on mistakes. We can’t change the past. Looking for the blessings is the better way to go, for sure. 🙂 Thanks for taking time to share a comment.
Talk about mistakes. Way back in the 1960s we received an emergency phone call from a member of our church asking if we would take in a family of five children, ages 4, 5, 7, 8, and 10 in foster-car until other arrangements could be made for them. Their father had shot at his wife (fortunately missed her), and they feared the children were in danger. They had been removed from their home and were staying with several case workers. We had two days to decide. Bare in mind that we had three children of our own, ages 6, 8, and 10. We agonized over the decision. Many questions came to mind. How could we manage? And then: would the children be split up? How would they be treated? Where would they sleep? We didn’t had that many beds. Still . . . At the end of the two days, we called and said we would take the children until other arrangements could be made. After three month it became apparent that the eight-year-old boy needed professional help that we could not offer (or handle) and he was place in the Children’s Treatment Center in Madison. Soon people from our church heard about our situation and began bring bags of groceries, bedding, and even beds. To end on a positive note, the children soon changed, became much easier to handle, fit well into our family, and for the next seven months we had a blast. And the best part? They all came to know Jesus as their Savior. Talk about happy memories!!!
Wow! That’s a great story, Donna. You made a big impact in their lives. God truly provided in all ways in your situation. Thanks for sharing your inspiring story.