My daughter and I were chatting last night and the subject eventually came round to the way people are always wanting more - something bigger, better, flashier, more impressive and always more expensive.
She said that she’d much rather look back on a life filled with memories of adventures and experiences that had made an impact on her life, even if only on a spiritual level, because buying stuff doesn’t create lasting memories, not unless there’s been some real blood, sweat and tears put into actually getting it, and those who continuously buy new stuff don’t generally do that.
Do you remember the nights you spent just watching the TV and look back with pleasure? Do you look back on all those days your kids spent in front of the TV playing computer games and smile, laugh or even cry at the wonderful memories? Do you look at your sofa and feel warmed by the memory of buying it?
Do you remember the nights you spent with family and friends and look back with pleasure? Do you look back on all those days your kids spent playing in the woods with you, or learning how to ride a bike, or watching a bird bathe in a puddle and smile, laugh or even cry at the wonderful memories? Do you look at that old sofa and remember cuddles with the kids on it when they were younger?
Things are just things but love, laughter, friendship and experiences are what makes our lives special.
Sharon J xx
~~+~~
Subscribe to my RSS Feed
Subscribe by Email
11 comments:
Very true, Sharon, and beautifully put, as always xx Great to see a new post from you popping up in my Google Reader each day!
If I had infinite resources I still couldnt imagine needing a fleet of cars. I like to do not to buy, i tihnk.
I can't promise I'll post every day, Caroline, but I'll try to keep it regular.
Lizzie. I like to do but I also like just chill and have 'home time' where nobody needs to do anything. And now and then I like to buy, but not as much as I like doing. Nowhere even close. It took a couple of years of being too much part of the consumer society for my liking before I remembered that though.
Glad to see you're back! - I've
missed your blog.
You're so right Sharon, when Kai is on school holidays I always try and do stuff with him so that when he grows up he has good childhood memories of us having fun as a family, and obviously when Sian is abit older it will be the same for her aswell.
It's nice to be back, Barbara.
Christine. I think one problem can also be that a lot of parents think they have to be doing expensive stuff with their kids like going tot theme parks and the likes, but it's the little things we did that mine look back on and smile about these days. Only one trip to a theme park ever gets mentioned and that's only because it scared the living daylights out of LM.
Thanks for visiting and leaving such a lovely comment! I totally agree with you re "stuff". My motto is people matter more than things, and that is the way I raised my kids. I will be back!
Hi Linds, thanks for visiting. I raised my kids the same way although there have been times when I've thought that they still haven't got it ;)
Sounds like your daughter is as sensible and wise as her mum!
Thanks, FT. I know she'd take that as a real compliment because she's always saying that apart from my health problems, she hopes she's like me when she gets to my age (and that, of course, it a huge compliment to me) :)
Hi thanks for sharing this
Post a Comment