LITTLE THINGS

A few days ago when I came out of the shower and reminisced about once again times together with my family; those best times when we were all still together. I realized something. Just all those little things that seem insignificant (or maybe even annoying) at the moment are now -years later- those most important moments. Such as moments when we watched the formula or hill jump together (well mom was often busy in the kitchen but sometimes she was involved in watching or at least she was listening) or moments when we ate dinner with my family and mom pushed me to take more food to make sure I get enough of it even if I had been going to cheerleader training (or to match to cheer). In those moments, dad was often angry to mom because he understood better that I couldn’t eat myself too full before training, but mothers are mothers, and do not always think so much with reason, but more with emotion.

Hill jumper Janne Ahonen was my idol when I was young.

Sports connect people! Sports memories are significant, especially when Finland was successful… like when Mika Häkkinen won the F1 World Championship (1998)… _________________________________________________________________

There are many more memories of these little moments like the moments when we queued for access to the bathroom at the same time, or in the late 80s and in the early 90’s when I often played with Barbie-dolls in the bath (when we still had a bath). My teenage brother who had a lively social life, was angry when he couldn’t get to the toilet himself to clean up. I could play in the bath for very long periods of time, and I remember how my brother often yelled at me from behind the door and rushed me.

Then tehere’s this one memorable moment which feels like yesterday. We listened to Astor Piazzolla’s fine radio listening with his stunning tangos played in between. I vividly remember the look of my moved father. I saw how impressed he was with the program, even though he was not as great friend of the Argentine tango as I and my mother. These are the moments I want my father to remember. Sensitive and moved. That’s when I felt the best connection with him.

Then there are those moments when my mom and I watched movies at night while dad slept (often snoring loudly) and we run to make sandwiches together with my mom during the commercial break, and those moments we watched TV entertainment programs like very legendary ”Bumtsibum” together on Saturdays (whose presenter, by the way, then became a major television personality. (You can watch the first episode of the program below but unfortunately it doesn’t have English subtitles.))

I also remember the moments when we were at the cottage, and my father often as a morning person woke me and my mother up early, that he would have company, even though we had often stayed up until morning with mom. That’s when we were annoyed with my mother. We just wanted to sleep. Now I would do anything to get back to those moments.

The first Bumtsibum tv-show on 13 September 1997. There are two teams in the program, and they take turns trying to guess what song is being fetched for based on word and picture hints. The best thing about the program is that the viewer can participate in it by guessing the songs themselves so it’s a great family program. The program was off TV for a long time, but has come back, albeit with a different presenter, and different front characters.

__________________________________________________________________

Those little moments are now very valuable memories of my family. I will never get those moments back. I wish I had realized then how quickly everything disappears and appreciated those moments more but which of us could do so in time before all is already lost? Rarely does a person understand at that very moment the uniqueness of her/his life. It is difficult to detect when the pieces of life are really in place, because there are always flaws, and it is easier to pay attention to the missing pieces. In the end, though, every time in life is precious in its own way, and you will never get it back again. Every moment turns into history and evaporates like ashes into the wind before you know it.

Appreciate your life and especially the people in it!

You never know how long they will be in your life.

ADVENT CALENDAR DOOR 19. *Childhood Christmasses*

The very best Christmasses ever was undoubtedly my childhood Christmasses when the Christmas evening was the best day of the year!

Those photos have been taken about on Christmas 1987/1988. I have my new gift doll with me. In second photo there’s my grandma and my mother with me. Obviously we had also gingerbread house on the coffee table. It was rare for us. It must have been the year my brother decided to make it.

These photos have been taken on Christmas 1990 (I think). In the first photo I’m with my grandma, who was hospitalized quite soon after this. In those two other photos I’m dancing ballet on Christmas evening (which I was doing almost all the time). In the image below my grandma is clapping to me and my mother is pouring coffee. (By the way my mother cut my hair before that Christmas. As you can see it’s not very beautiful. It’s way too short. Well, she admit it herself too and never cut my hair again…) I’m also sorry for the image quality but these are photos taken of photos…

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Childhood Christmas reminds me specially of two things: my grandma and big piles of gifts. Of course gifts are not the most important thing but it was so exciting as a child. That kind of excitement is hard to get anymore but I’m sure you all know how it feels to wait something so eagerly, right?! To wait something with full of joy and happiness! I remember how we shake’d the presents with my brother and we tried to find out what was in the packages…

I had few of different Polly pockets as a child. I owned one of those in the video, that hairdresser Polly which was so beautifull in my mind (well, it has a beautifull colors.)

____________________________________________________________________________________

I no longer remember many of the gifts I received however, three important gifts have remained in my mind.

  • Polly pocket (don’t remember which of those specifiacly but I had wished for one as a gift)
  • Plushie toy dogg (I got it from my grandma)
  • The doll I named: ”Marjukka” (in picture)

Super cool Polly pocket toy village!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

My Christmasses were great but Santa never visited to us. Every year we all went to wait him after eating to the hallway…but in vain. It was just the show of my family for me to make it look like real thing. Only I waited seriously. I still remember how seriously. Well, Santa never came and my mother told me that he have no time to visit everybodys house but every year I really hoped that maybe this year he finally comes to us. He never did…but it’s ok. Maybe Santa never visited to us but my grandma (and grandpa) did…It’s more important. From her me and my brother got also presents so we didn’t really need Santa…

Well, I don’t remember how the present thing were handled when we were little but one thing I do remember from the time when I was in elementary school. Some time before Christmas my mother always came to told me that the elf’s did bring Christmas presents. My mother did this quite long time. I didn’t even believe Santa anymore but there were time when I just said ”ok” and thought that there were some girls or boys dressed as elves which bring those presents, funny right?! My mother must have thought I still believed in Santa…

I’m very happy of my childhood Christmasses and always carry them in my heart!

(Yes, I’m late again. I’m so sorry. There’s too few hours a day like I always say.)

Friendly Friday Photo Challenge: Dreams of childhood

From the left to the right: my father, my mother, me and my grandma on christmas eve (1986 I think)

Some time ago I found these posts https://wp.me/p6FALh-2jO

https://www.google.com/amp/s/thesandychronicles.blog/2020/10/16/friendly-friday-dreams/amp/

I did read those and I got the idea of my own version of this topic. I had actually one short draftpost touching this topic (without name). Now it’s time to make this post complete…

I am dreaming of getting back in time when I didn’t have to think anything else than just like what to play next or how to get homework done, the beautifull, pure childhood time. Even the time when I grew up a little bit to a teen and my biggest issue was how to find a boyfriend, was still great too. Those times when specially my closest familymembers: father and grandma (who were also aImost living with us before hospitalized and with whom I had so fun together), was alive. Both godfathers and godmother was alive, (if I’ll go further to my childhood even grandpa was alive but I don’t remember him so well. He was hospitalized when I was about six years old. I’ve heard that I’m a lot like my grandfather. Philosophying and analyzing everything like him. I wish I could have known him better.)

Me and my new hat on summer 1986(?)

I’m dreaming of getting a time machine and spending one week with those close ones, be innocent, care free child once more. If only I could be and enjoy every moment, be present without worrying the past or the future. Immerse myself in inspiring plays. Jump on a skipping rope on the yard. Dancing ballet with my best friend putting my soul into it. Go to play ground with my grandma. Go once again to summer camp or weekend camp. Spend a truly joyfull christmas with the excitement of presents.

If only I could really feel alive and run free bare foot in the wind, feeling grass under my soles or dancing with the raindrops, and laugh, laugh so hard that my stomach aches. I think I lost that ability years a go, like many of us in middle age I guess, too many…What happened to us after those happy days? Life happened. Too much losses, too much responsibilities, too much worrying, too much everything…

That one happy week back in childhood, that’s what I dream of…but too bad, I can’t make that dream come true…