A Little Nostalgia.

I've been thinking about nostalgia lately. I've always had a thing for nostalgia. And lately I've noticed I'm not alone. What is that? Is it a desire to recreate something of our own childhood, or some imagined childhood? With each child I had, I found that desire stronger each time. It ranged from having those few precious garments that had been kept from when we were babies, to recreating similar era clothes, to actively hunting down things. From being mindful about what was in their toybox, on their bookshelf, put in their mouths.



I do get a sadness in my heart when certain little friends look blankly at me when I suggest going outside to play. When I insist, they reluctantly do, but they don't know how to play anymore...



Being clear about play being a child's 'work'. Active play as opposed to passive in-front-of-a-screen play. Of course there is room for movies and nintendo and flaking out in a bunch on the couch at the end of the week. But to have room in all the chaos for simple pleasures, for appreciation of uncomplicated entertainment that simply is what it is. That is what I strive for.



"In summer I am very glad
We children are so small,
For we can see a thousand things
That men can't see at all.

They don't know much about the moss
And all the stones they pass:
They never lie and play among
The forests in the grass."

from Playgrounds by L. Alma Tadema.

Edit: Oops! Forgot this most important and pertinent link! This is what myself and Lisa have been doing to keep a little bit of nostalgia going in our lives!