I met younger me for the first time in decades this past Sunday. I asked my parents if they still had their video tapes. They did! It also happened that someone had a working VCR in town. Thanks Tim for letting us journey down memory lane.

Hearing my grandmother’s voice and seeing her house again after 20 plus years was magical.

I began wondering what I would tell younger me at 7, 11, and 16.

  To my 7 year old self, you won’t be this shy forever. Enjoy being a kid.

To 11 year old me, spoiler alert you don’t end up with the guy you wrote about in your Lisa Frank journal, but it works out better. Believe in yourself.

To 16 year old me, don’t grow up too fast.

Then there were my parents in the videos when they were my age currently. Seeing our interactions then and how it shaped me. Thankful is all I can say.

The time machine of home videos made me both happy and sad – missing those that were part of my life. Seeing them, hearing them- oh  my heart.

My oldest son said I still had the same mannerisms. Maybe none of us really do change. We just grow older. 

The Fab Four-Andi, Mom, Dad and Me