Letters and Launch Pads

This week, I've entered into a new project in my life: I have a pen pal. Well, more like a crayon pal, since he mostly likes to doodle and watercolor instead of write. Good thing he has a super-cool mom to help him with those tricky letters and sentences! His name's Tavin, he's just about my favorite 3 year-old on the planet and I'm lucky enough to call him my nephew.

Its not an usual thing for me to reflect back on my childhood - savoring memories is somewhat of a hobby of mine. While they're beautiful and wonderful treasures, they can also keep me from living in the present. Last week I thought back on how much my aunts and uncles meant to me as a kid. They took me places, gave me their time and energy. They were genuinely my favorite people, the sunshine to my young existence. I realized that my cherished memories of being a niece had not yet manifested themselves in my life in me being the Great aunt that I so long to be. Sad to say, while I love my nephew to the moon and back, I haven't devoted as much of myself as I would've liked to this relationship. I figured this realization was the perfect motivation to be the one to create the memories, experiences and the fun! And so, knowing how thrilling it was (and is) to get a letter addressed just to ME, I sent my favorite tow-headed child a letter, complete with a picture of an astronaut. To my sweet surprise, he greeted me with a letter just a few days later (his momma said he couldn't wait to mail it) and it even included a picture just for me. He and I have started something new, something I hope he can one day reflect on with fondness and love.

Its such a good, good thing to know that we can change at any moment. Time lost is not a death-sentence for our future. Instead it is a launching pad, from which we can throw ourselves, head-long and heart-full, into the kind of self we want to be. I'm so thankful for that. I'm also thankful for three-year old pen pals, water color smiley faces with pink flower noses and planning for other fun, wonderful memories waiting to be made!

What kind of memory-building traditions/activities do you do with those you love? I have a niece on the way and I'm just getting started on this favorite aunt thing! If you haven't done them yet, what kind of things would you like to do? And what can you do today to make those things happen? Create the kind of memory today that you want to smile on tomorrow!

-K