The Gifts We Pass Down to Our Children

I’ve spent a lot of time today thinking about what we pass down to the young ones around us. Today I took the kids shopping in Leadville, CO. It’s very historical, with a deep history in mining. Almost all of the houses and buildings date to 1880 at least, and at one time, Leadville was the wealthiest city in the states. It had brothels, casinos, saloons, opera houses and so many shops you couldn’t even count. You know, the kind of city that seemed like a whole lotta fun. They even sell brothel coins here, historical replicas of actual coins, for a whole night of “fun”.



Present day Leadville is a real mix between history and new funk. The 1880 houses have been bought and revived by ambitious young new comers, but yet there is the culture and respect for the older people and the town’s culture and history. Everyone knows each other, and greets one another by their first name. One of the stores I stumbled into had a section for old fashioned candy, which I course ran right over to. And while I was browsing, I got knocked right into my childhood. I spied a small metal tin with a beautiful girl printed on it. The tin was full of small candies that were lavender flavored. Which I know would cause some people to wonder about them, and truth be told I don’t love the flavor. But I snatched a tin up because my grandmom had these when I was a kid and the sight of them instantly made me smile.



She was a very simple woman, not frivolous or silly by any stretch. So when I used to go to her house and see this pretty little tin or the small wooden toys she kept tucked away, or the paper dolls she kept for years, I knew that she found joy in the small things. I gather many of them reminded her of her upbringing out West, where she grew up simply and with imagination. And she appreciated when she got a toy or a gift, because they were few and far between.



All these years later, I find myself in a constant struggle with materialistic America, which is probably what has me writing this blog from a picnic table in Colorado. Because rather than give my children every materialistic request (of which, they have many, but they’re learning) I would rather give them memories. Sure, they got spending money on this trip, but not much and what they got they had to earn. And once it was gone, it was gone. So I figure I give them two gifts: the gift of learning responsibility and also the actual gift.

That is what I hope to leave with my children. That they can see that I try to live by example and cherish the small things as my grandmother did. I promised myself a long time ago that throughout my travels, I wouldn’t buy anything for my house or for me that didn’t hold value of some sort, sentiment in particular.

Hopefully, years down the road, the kids will continue to travel and will do so with their own kids. And I hope when they stumble upon something small and pretty, maybe something turquoise and silver or with a dream catcher, they’ll think of me and remember our trips and time we spent together. I know I won’t forget it.