We have a big green shipping container out the back packed full of all sorts of stuff. When we moved out here to our property nearly fourteen years ago we planned to only have our things in storage for six months. Little did we know all these years later it would still be there, untouched like a time capsule.
Yesterday two of our sons and I finally opened that container to start cleaning it out. It brought me to consider the cliché, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Among the piles of boxes I discovered a treasure trove of so many wonderful memories from our boys childhood, (and other boxes full of junk that we easily chose to throw away). Mind you, so far after an afternoon of sorting, we have barely scratched the surface.
As we sorted boxes one by one, we laughed at the treasures and memories that each box uncovered. My middle son was never an enthusiastic reader as a child, but much to his delight we came across his treasured Deltora Quest book series. by Emily Rodda . These were one set of the few books I managed to get him to read back then. He was quick to say they were definitely keepers for when his son is old enough to read them too. They are now safely on my bookshelf to be treasured by the next generation.
Matt’s copies of Deltora Quest by Emily Rodda, now kept safely on my bookshelf.
To my surprise I also came across a couple of packets of old photos from the 90’s when my boys were little. They brought back wonderful treasured memories of son no 3’s christening, the 4th and seventh birthdays of my other two sons and life in general from those years. We talked about people in the photos, including my dad and uncle who are no longer with us, and the boys were amazed at how young their dad and I looked. Not only do I treasure these memories from the past, but I will treasure these moments of discovery together too. An afternoon that was meant to be a chore that we have put off for years was a fun and enjoyable experience.
This lead me to thinking about the other treasured moments from recent weeks. Celebrating my mum’s 80th birthday, the book reading of Fossil Frenzy at the Book Cow in Kingston and my invitation to the Gold Coast Film Festival that arose from the Queensland Writers Centre Adaptable Competition. Meeting the incredibly talented international award winning children’s author Adam Wallace and the co-ordinators of Adaptable, Lori-Jay Ellis and Craig Couchi, will be special moments that I will always treasure.
Hubby and I had the opportunity to see a wonderful aunt one last time before she passed. As sad as that moment was, we will treasure the memory always. We will be forever grateful we had the chance to say goodbye.
While in Brisbane, we drove up to Mount Tamborine in the ranges behind the Gold Coast where we enjoyed several rainforest walks and I found an irresistible fairy tree house that I just had to bring home. The sheer delight on my grandson’s face when I turned on the fairy lights was a moment captured that I will treasure forever. My fairy bookshelf now also includes a wizard and dragon statue that we found among the treasures from the container.
I visited the Queensland Museum and also bought a dinosaur egg that when submerged in water for 24 -48 hours, hatches and continues to grow. Watching my little cherub grab my hand and pull me over to show me the longneckasaurus (as he calls it) that hatched was a moment of excitement that made all the tears and tantrums the day before all worth it. One thing I did learn, you can’t expect a 3 year old child to wait for delayed gratification! I do think he will treasure that dinosaur for some time to come.
While some of these things are material mementos that bring back memories, others are experiences that will we always treasure. This lead me to think about Secrets Hidden Below the Adamson Adventures 1. While the story evolves around a pirate treasure hunt through Bali, the true treasure that the three siblings come to value is each other and their family. As this book is now out of stock, I am proud to be able to announce it is now available as a print on demand book or ebook via Amazon. You can find the book Here
Yesterday was also my middle son’s 30th birthday and Mothers Day. It was full of wonderful moments to treasure, not all to do with that big old shipping container. Moments that are special to a family full of love, laughter and lots of cuddles. It is my sincerest wishes that you too, had a Mother's Day to remember.
What are some treasured moments that you might like to share in the comments below?