While home at my Mom’s house a few weeks ago, I dug out an old home video. I wish I could tell you that my family and I always supported my Dad and his video endeavors but the opposite is true. We rolled our eyes plenty, and I may or may not have had a bit of an attitude when Dad asked me a few questions on camera.
Dad: “What day is it Kelli?”
Kelli: “It’s Christmas!”
Dad: “And what do you do on Christmas, Kel?”
Kelli: “Open presents! Duh, Dad!”
Still, Dad was an utter champ when it came to home movies. My brother and I grew up in the VHS era, which meant Dad would patiently stand for hours – on holidays, birthdays, dance recitals, and horse shows - with a massive camera on one shoulder and the recording box strapped around his waist, filming away. These families that get to video with a little hand-held device now-a-days? They just don’t know what they’re missing.
So this home video. It was Christmas, 1986. Almost all of my Dad’s side of the family had gathered back in Illinois at my Grandmother’s house for the holiday. It was Christmas morning. There were 7 cousins, all under the age of 14. There were aunts and uncles, presents and wrapping paper, coffee mugs and dedicated, bleary-eyed parents. There was no order to the morning, and the only thing us kids knew was that Santa had come the night before and we were some very, very lucky children indeed.
Whoever would have guessed, that on a September night in 2010 - some 14 years later - my family and I would sit around together on the sofa, laughing and giggling over the kids we all once were.
Opening Presents!
My baby brother - in his finest, cutest, drooliest form.
1986 was the year of Rock Star Barbie and...the truly, truly, truly outrageous JEM. Clearly I am demonstrating her glowing earrings to Dad, the man behind the camera.
A reader and crafter of stories from a young age, I was the notorious "director" of holiday plays performed by my acting troupe - the cousins. I like to think my family enjoyed these theater experiences...except for the fact that I somehow managed to drag them on for hours.
My Mom, a saint for being so darn patient during all that Christmas morning chaos.
All cleaned up with the cousins and my Aunt. I have no idea what sort of look I was going for...but I DO remember being thrilled that Mom had curled my bangs for me. I felt very, very sophisticated.
We can't go back in time, we can't relive or redo the past, and it doesn't too much good to dwell there all that often. Still, there's something so comforting, so enjoyable about looking back on what was, what used to be. I never would've guessed it at age 7, but at 31? I'm forever grateful for this little window into the past and the ability to get a tiny glimpse of the kid I used to be. 80's fashion and all.
(Sorry about that sassy video attitude, Dad.)
3 comments:
The thing about these video memories; if you've captured them, they're yours forever, if you've passed them by, they're gone forever.
I used to get so frustrated because your Dad was always behind the camera on every holiday or major event. Therefore he is in very few of the videos. We couldn't even run downstairs Christmas morning until he was awake and in his post at the camera. You and Stephen would wake up early and be so very anxious to run downstairs but first you had to get Daddy up...which wasn't always easy. Like you I am now grateful to have all those video memories of little people now all grown up. They were wonderful times together that I cherish. Let's check out some more video memories during your next visit!!
This is awesome! Our video clips of Aliza are so fast....sometimes I think we should dig out our video recorder and take longer shots. This is making me want to do just that!
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