The other day I spent some time doing something I consider terribly important. Several weeks late on my self-imposed deadline, I was determined not to let the entire month of August pass me by without completing Macho's 3 year old letter.
His One Year Letter ::
You see when he turned one, I decided I would write him one letter every year on/near his birthday. Talk about what life is like for us at that moment... recap his year... his milestones. Changes to our family - births, new jobs, starting school, etc. I also do a little time capsule style snapshot of current events. How much a gallon of gas or milk costs... What's going on in politics, world news, and in entertainment/pop culture. I also include his height, weight, a photo of just him, and a photo of us together taken very close to the date of the letter.
His Two Year Letter ::
It takes some time to do this - but I'm totally committed to writing him (and also starting this for the little lady when she turns one in Nov) one every year. Then - when the time is right - his 30th birthday - his wedding - the birth of his first child - one day, when the time is right - I'll give them all to him.
His Three Year Letter ::
I know it would take a lot less time to type out the letters - but I there's something so intensely personal about writing it our in your own handwriting. There's a legacy there in that penmanship. When I'm old and gray - and my chicken scratch can no longer be read - he'll have these. And that will make me very, very happy.
Plus - the envelopes are fun to make and decorate :: All three years so far together...
I anticipate the envelope decor will mature along with him and his interests at each age. I've hole punched through just the envelope so I can store them in a short little 3 ring binder. It will be interesting to see how this project unfolds over a few decades.
What kind of memory keeping traditions have you begun for your kids? I'd love to know!
