Tag: raising kids

Make Remarkable Memories

Make Remarkable Memories

by Autumn Darbrow ♥ 2 Comments

Many times, I do my best to practice what I preach, and the blog post 5 Different Ways To Overcome Writer’s Block I wrote a few days ago comes from ideas that I actually practice. This post is generated in thanks to Stumbleupon where I came across this post: Awesome Dad Draws Cartoons on Lunch Bags for His Kids
Read more at http://www.dailydawdle.com/2011/12/awesome-dad-draws-cartoons-on-lunch.html#JE8hVPTurD4A4gJb.99

This reminded me of a book I read as a kid about showing love in small, simple ways. I think the book was intended for parents to show your kids, but it could’ve just been a general book. Anyway, this post reminded me of that book and of the small things my mom used to do for me. One of the things I remember the most was lunch time notes. We didn’t have a large amount of money, and my mom would pack me my lunch in elementary school sometimes. When she did, I usually found a treat that I liked, and there would always be a note. The note would say something along the lines of have a great day, shoot for the stars, or you’re the best daughter. Sometimes, it simply said, I love you.

For some reason, I was always extremely embarrassed by this when I was younger (I guess it’s normal for kids to be embarrassed by their parents?), but looking back on it, those notes were just one of the aspects that made my mom so wonderful. If I wasn’t getting notes, I was getting balloons sent to school on my birthday or flowers on Valentine’s day (the flowers meant the most as a teenager when I wasn’t getting anything from crappy guys). It’s the small things she’s done for me over time that are sometimes the most memorable for me.

So, if you’re a parent or you want to do something different for your other special person, consider doing something small for them, something that takes a little of your time, like writing a note and placing it somewhere. An example of doing something small for a special person in your life: I dated a guy who once decorated the inside of my car with heart post it notes. He wrote something he loved about me on each one. I’ll never forget that morning when I went out to my car and found everything covered. I was even finding notes in random, hidden places a few days later.

So, here are some ideas on how to show you love a person, be it a child or a significant other, or even just a friend:

1. Create a mixed cd of songs. Even better, create a mixed tape
2. Slip a note telling that person one intellectual attribute you admire about them, ie. You love that they know everything about Abraham Lincoln, even the obscure facts
3. Send them a postcard
4. Paint an abstract picture of your relationship
5. Write a comic strip about how you two met
6. Create origami of their favorite animal and place it on their bed side to see when they wake up
7. Make a donation to charity in the name of your love for your partner.
8. Invent a meal and name it after him or her
9. Create a pop-up book of a memorable moment the two of you shared
10. For kids, write a letter once a year for them, and then present it to them on their 18th birthday

Anyway, just remember, it’s the small things, the unique things,  that a person remembers later in life. Be sure to show you love them in a way that’s all your own at least once.

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