One of my favorite blogs posted a video the other day that has had me thinking. Here’s the video:
First of all, the setting in Chicago alone makes me melancholy. I could never live full time in Chicago. But I still think of it as “home”. I’m not one of those who has one single place that is THE home. Here is home. Chicago is home. The town I grew up in is home. The town I went to school in is home. Each in a different way. And I think this video maybe led me to the reason – they each hold dear memories for me.
So what is your most wonderful memory? I’m afraid I just couldn’t come up with one single memory. So please, bear with me…
Riding big wheels, catching fireflies and playing hide and go seek with all the neighborhood kids. (This happens to be one of my birthdays. But all my favorite people are there.)
My Aunt Rose & Uncle Chub’s house in Rolling Meadows (and the ever present Jelly Bellys). This is my brother and I skating on the pond just across the street from their house. I apparently have not scanned a better photo yet.
The box of leaves Aunt Rose and Uncle Chub sent us when we couldn’t make it to their house one fall. (This photo was taken at their house. I think. Based on the background.)
Christmas at Grandma’s every year. And especially the year Karen and I were snowed in there. (I’m front right in this photo. In case you couldn’t tell. My brother is the cool kid rockin’ the blue denim suit.)
Swimming at Uncle Martin & Aunt Marge’s. Who can see the green roof first?!
Running through the pigeons in Chicago. (Um, yeah. Obvs not Chicago; St. Mark’s in Venice. But I don’t have a photo of me and the pigeons in Chicago. When we went to Italy I HAD to do this.)
Nights babysitting in Sheridan
…although yeah, probably not for the babysitting part. (Ah, the joys and heartbreaks of first love.)
Is that a Crown on Your Head (Or have you been eating imperial margarine again), Improv, 47th Street. (These were summer acting groups I was a part of. So glad I could reconnect with these friends via FB! Hi, Amy! Hi, Eric! Hi, Jason!)
Snowball (See comment above about reconnecting via FB.)
Copper Country Cruisin’ and waterfalls in da UP, eh.
Summer nights at the ball field..no photos. (What? This was before the digital age!)
My wedding day. Times 100.
Strolling the streets of Rome, Venice, and Tuscany with my husband.
The Boy’s arrival. x1000. (Can you say perma-grin?)
The Girl’s arrival. Also x1000.
Putting my kids to bed – when they most want to snuggle. No photos….yet.
Taking the kids to Chicago. (Really want to go back for the holidays. Christmas in Chicago is my favoritist.)
Our trip to California.
Our trip to Glacier.
And so many more…It seems my favorite memories are those that bring me closer to my friends and family.
While that video has me looking back mostly, it also has me looking forward, to the memories I know are to come. Growing old with my hubby. Watching our kids grow. The trips we’ll take. The adventures, big and small. The everyday traditions that I know I’ll look back on and smile about.
So how about you? What’s your favorite memory?
3 comments
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September 30, 2011 at 10:44 am
Leslie Goldman
What awesome pics! I feel kind of like I grew up with you now
I was raised in Buffalo Grove, not too far from Rolling Meadows. Some of my favorite memories are from my grandparents’ house. One that comes to mind: My grandma would dump chocolate pudding all over her kitchen table and let my lil brother and I “fingerpaint” with it/eat it!!
October 6, 2011 at 12:34 pm
Crabby McSlacker
My sound isn’t working at the moment so I missed the video, but… WOW. Loved the photo retrospective! Made me nostalgic for YOUR memories as well as my own. Which doesn’t make sense because I wasn’t there.
Thanks so much for sharing that.
The memory that jumps into my greedy mind first is of the awesomeness of Christmas morning… maybe 5 or 6 years old… and getting up early and seeing all the presents waiting to be opened. And, um, my wonderful family, yeah, that’s right! I’m sure they were there somewhere too.
October 6, 2011 at 12:43 pm
bdaiss
Hahaha! I almost included a shot of our Chrismas mornings as well. My mom has been notorious for going overboard for Christmas. (Okay, fine, every holiday.) Looking at the photos of our Christmas morning floored my hubby
My mom was a single mom working three jobs, but she put money away every month to make Christmas a huge huge deal. An over flowing stocking with little stuff (socks, perfume, gum, chapstick, jewelry, etc) plus at least a dozen or two presents each – everything from toys to clothes to books to movies. In hubby’s house, they each recieved one present from Santa, one from Mom&Dad, and maybe one from their siblings (there are 4 kids). And their stockings had only fruit/nuts. Needless to say, Christmas with the kids is now difficult. I want to go my mom’s route. He thinks simple is better. So far we’ve settled for my stocking tradition, 2 presents from Santa, 2 from us, and 1 from the other kid.
Oh yeah – and up until Christmas 2010 my mom still filled our stockings. As in mine, Josh’s, our 2 kids, plus my brother, his wife and their 2 kids. I swear the woman is a saint. (And while she won’t be filling our stocking herself anymore, she still buys and gives me stuff for our stockings. *shakes head*)
When’s the big move?!? Coming my way this time? Or avoiding the poor Dakota’s again. : ) B