Recall: A Writing & Art Project
Things seem bleak, so I’m looking back for a little while.
Life, overall, has been good to me. Full of joy, opportunities to succeed and people who encouraged me to follow my heart. I grew up learning how to be kind, smart, strong and to not take any bullshit (thanks, Dad). Sure, there were some run-of-the-mill heart breaks sprinkled about, but nothing insurmountable. I certainly won’t be writing a best-selling memoir any time soon. But, I do have fantastic memories from my childhood. My parents did such a bang-up job raising my brother and I. In 30 years, I’ve never really stopped to tell my parents ‘thanks,’ not only for putting us on the right track in life and giving us all the tools we needed to keep the train chugging toward success, but for making our lives so full of, well, life.
A few weeks ago, I started to jot down some these memories in a notebook as they came to me. The first ones were the legends — you know — the ones that get told at family gatherings every year, that have you laughing in tears (or maybe cringing with annoyance). After a little digging, the smaller moments started to emerge. And before I knew it, I had a list that spanned several pages. Some of them I hadn’t thought about in years… and some I had never really thought about at all. Instead of leaving them in that notebook that I might never look at again once it was full, I decided to create a writing and art project out of them: 30 years, 30 memories. Part digital scrapbook (minus all the lame and poorly designed stickers), part journal, part thank you note. My goal is to complete before my 31st birthday in May, which gives me less than 5 months. I’m kicking things off with the first three, and boy are they good ones:
Dedicated to my wonderful mother and father, I really couldn’t have done “it” without you. Love, you daughter.*
*That’s not a typo. That’s #17. Stay tuned.
