The other day my son in-law, Matthew, bought an electric
razor similar to the one my husband uses. Matthew was standing in the bathroom
the next morning trying it out when 2 ½ year-old Reuben woke up.
When Reuben heard the buzzzzzz of the razor, he hopped out
of bed and went running into the bathroom calling “Grandpa!” “Grandpa!”
Rueben adores his daddy, but I’m told he was very
disappointed to find Daddy standing in front of the mirror instead of Grandpa. After
all, to our sweet little grandson, the sound of the electric razor was a ‘Grandpa
is in the building’ kind of sound, and to Reuben, having Grandpa around is like
syrup on pancakes, butter on popcorn, snow on Christmas morning….
For me, the taste of roast beef and fresh bread reminds me
of the love Granny poured into every meal she cooked.
The smell of lavender reminds me of the love between Zach
and his great-grandma Ruth.
The sounds of farm animals take me back to the life I loved
so much during the years we were raising our family.
Using a beat-up old aluminum dishpan that once belonged to Granny
gives me comfort and reminds me to love my husband and children the same way
she loved me—unconditionally.
So what parenting wisdom am I trying to impart by sharing these memories with you? I actually want you to take two things from what I've shared...
1. The atmosphere or surroundings you raise your children in
matters…a lot.
2. Your children are making memories and forming associations
between you and the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, they experience with
you.
This leaves me to ask only one question:
What sounds, smells, sights, and tastes are your children
associating with you and are they the memories and associations you want to
impress on their hearts and minds?
Love,
Momma D
