Saturday, March 13, 2021

A Little Slice of Memory #SOL21

 

Join Two Writing Teachers and other teacher-writers as we share a slice of life every single day in the month of March. 

My first college experience was at Butler Univerity, a private Indiana university. I loved my four years there and have some fond memories of living in a sorority house. But I also have some very fond memories of babysitting for a family who lived fairly close to campus.

They had two girls. The baby was six months old and the oldest was preschool age when I first started. I would go to their house while their mother shopped, worked out, or met with friends. I usually did this twice a week during the day, and then one night a week, their parents had a date night. A couple of times, I spent the whole weekend with the girls while their parents went out of town. The summer before my senior year, they took me to Florida with them so I could stay with them while they went to dinner or a movie. I loved this family!

After leaving college, I moved home and lost contact with them. Of course, we didn't have social media back in the late 80s to stay connected.

This morning something triggered a memory of them. I searched on Facebook and found one of the girls. 

I thought to myself, Do I reach out? Will she think I am this crazy person who says she was her babysitter? That just sounds like a creepy stalker!

But I did! I told her who I was, the details of the time I spent with her family, and how much I loved her mother. 

A  few hours later she responded! She told me about her and her sister's lives now and about their parents. She even sent me pictures. They are both successful and have beautiful families. She filled me on her parents and that her mother was touched that I had reached out.

I am not sure what triggered the memory or what made me reach out, but I am so glad I did!

10 comments:

  1. This memory made me so happy. I'm glad you reached out. I don't even remember the names of the kids I babysat for in college. I do remember the kids, themselves, though, and I wonder who they became.

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  2. Ahh, this is precious - it's not even my story, and I'm so happy about it! What a gift that you bravely reached out. It would be fun to reconnect in person someday, huh? :)

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  3. Oh, Leigh Anne! I am so glad you did! You are much braver than I am.

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  4. I love this!!! I have such fond memories of the kids I tutored while I was in college.

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  5. Oh, I bet you made their day! I'm sure you triggered fond memories for them, too. I'm so glad you reached out and shared the memory and the contact.

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  6. What a wonderful story of connection that you were brave enough to reconnect- thanks for sharing:)

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  7. Oh, that's so neat! I have fond memories of kids and families I babysat for, too! I'm so glad one of the girls reached back out. How fun to catch up on her life!

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  8. This is such a heartwarming Slice. I’m glad you took the risk and reaches out.

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  9. Flashback to an earlier time in your life and look what happens - a connection. Social media does have its finer moments occasionally.

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  10. How great that you were able to connect! Maybe there will be a face-to-face meeting in the future!

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