I'm Still the Same "Angie"

On one of my more recent trips back to my parent's house, I gathered several big "scrapbooks" of miscellaneous memories I put together from preschool-12th grade.  My task was to bring them home, go through them, pull out what wasn't needed anymore, and downsize it.  Well, little did I know I pretty much saved everything from preschool-12th grade, so this project has taken me a bit longer than expected.  The fact I have thoroughly enjoyed reading many of my papers, notes from teachers and friends alike, and found myself cracking up at some of the things I thought were important as a youngster doesn't help the time factor either.  It has been quite the trip down memory lane for sure!

One of the most interesting parts of reliving some of my past has been the realization that even though I have grown up, changed, and matured, there are still many parts of me who are still...well...the same "me" I was as a young girl.  Some of my giftings are the same, some of my insecurities are the same, some of my interests are the same, some of my fears are the same.  It has made me even more aware, as a mom, that my children are developing parts of who they will forever be before my very eyes--even as young as toddlers and early elementary beings.  Our "job" as parents is such a blessing.  Such a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch the personality of another human being develop before us in our every day lives.  It's amazing.

I've found certain parts of my discoveries so interesting, I plan on doing a little mini-series here.  I'm not sure if you will find it as interesting as I do, but my hope is that through these reflections, you too can see what we teach and instill in our children will potentially be with them for the rest of their lives...for better or worse.  I'll entitle each post in this series with "I'm Still the Same 'Angie'" with a further reference as to what "part" of Angie I'll be addressing.  Some of these posts will simply be amusing while others will hopefully show you what is critical to instill and what is critical to NOT instill in the future generations of youngsters who will grow up just as I did.  For starters, let me give you a few pictures to introduce you to the young girl whose eyes you are about to see life through...don't mind the quality of photos--they are pictures of pictures.  Oh, and don't mind the hair cuts--it was the 80's, friends!