This past week I found an old notebook of mine in a random bag in the basement. The earliest entry dates back to 2014. I’ve been digging through and having fun reading some of my old story notes and random ideas. Today’s post is a bit different than what I normally send out, but I thought it was worth sharing. This particular entry was written in 2018.
Don’t forget to brush your teeth.
Don’t forget to tie your shoes.
Don’t forget your lunch money.
Don’t forget to write your grandmother a thank you card.
Don’t forget to be home by 11:00.
Don’t forget, Christmas dinner starts at 5:00.
Don’t forget your college application.
Don’t forget to tell her you love her.
Do what you want, son, and go where you will, but don’t forget about me.
I guess my thinking behind writing this piece was to cover a significant amount of time in a short space. I wanted to write this from the parent’s perspective to show those little, routine reminders — those small moments — and how they impact our lives.
Thanks so much for reading. Have a great week!
Each line so familiar. A mother's litany. All are directives except one. The last one is simply what mothers long for. A lovely memory. Thank you Justin.
Did you come across anything written by 9-year-old Justin? 😊 This was great. Any list reminding us to remember is a great source of creative fuel. Whether we use it to make something new happen or just reminisce about what happened already. Thank you for sharing. And keep digging. So many treasures to be found in the headspaces of our past selves. 💜