So i recently moved into a house and have boxes to go through. got to my millions of boxes of photo albums.
In my 20s I was a professional ballerina and it was a little depressing to see how much thinner I was than now, after two kids and being almost 50. But that is besides the point. I gathered my sons around and we began looking through them.
The next thing you knew THREE HOURS had passed by. We laughed, (I cried) , we told stories, I filled them in on family fun facts. We reminised. It was such a great night.
In the end, my boys had a new appreciation for what I used to do as a dancer, they learned about me at their age, they learned about their family, I got a renewed appreciation for my kids as I look back at them when they were babies. It made me get that "fresh excitement" i had for them when they were first born. We sometimes forget that feeling as we are running around trying to get them where they need to go, make dinner, do laundry.
I also got a renewed appreciation for myself. I sometimes get sad thinking about what didn't happen or what went wrong with my life.
But as I looked back at my dancing days I realized what a great career I had. It was so much fun and I met my husband.
Although we are not married now, I look at those 12 years together and what a happy and exciting time it was. When I see pictures of my parents I remember how unique and funny they were and how much they really did for us. My mom is in a nursing home now and is nothing like the pictures, but we remembered her silliness and how much she loved us.
My dad who passed away looks so happy with his grandchildren in the pictures and although not a huggy dad with us, he would do things like dress up as santa for my sons. My brother I take for granted all the time since we live together, but he is so fun and is the best uncle ever!
My kids adore him and they do crazy things that makes them laugh out loud, like the time he let the boys throw his birthday cake in his face for his 50th birthday leading to an all out cake fight. He is also so supportive and is at all their shows, school events and even is on the PTA. He helps create great times and things that make memories.
I see too that although I am divorced now, and things didn't quite go as planned I see a family that I have raised quite successfully. My oldest son I raised pretty much on my own for his first six years and now at almost 17, is an accomplished composer and musician and a respectful young man.
During the first 6 years of his life, I got a college degree (graduating with honors and taking Dante to my classes with me), worked about 4 jobs, turned 40 ( an undertaking in itself), moved across the country, and became a teacher. Not too shabby. Six years later I chose to have a second child with the help of my brothers partner and I was blessed with another bouncy (and I really mean bouncy!) baby boy.
He makes me laugh constantly and has that zest for life that should be bottled and sold! I see that I am successful in my career too. I am a math teacher and have the honor to teach at least 180 students every year. I hope, and i know that I make a difference even to at least one, and that makes it worthwhile.
So looking back at these photos was not depressing. It was inspiring, joyous, memorable, enlightening, funny, and most of all a great evening with my sons. I realize that with all the crap that happened in my life, those two creatures that were sitting next to me when I was going through those albums were what makes all the bad stuff disappear.
I also realize that i did pretty darn good in my life and I have another 50 more years to do even more. So all I can add is get the photos out and spend some time with the family looking through them.
It will make you realize that LIFE IS GOOD!
