I’m curled on the couch with body aches and burning eyes, writhing from the second vaccine dose. I had a feeling I wouldn’t feel great; the first shot 28 days ago made me feel like garbage too. I lift my legs and turn to my side, my left arm leaden and sensitive.
I pound a mason jar of water and down two Tylenol. I squeeze my eyes shut again.
When I wake up, it’s still morning, the sun rising bright and bold. There’s hope and ambition in that sunshine. My first thought is brief panic: where are the kids? How late had I slept?
They were fine. The two oldest were reading nearby, all gangly legs and unbrushed hair, horizontal and into Riordan. This is Spring Break. The youngest were on the window seat; Ezzy pointing out and naming family members in an album for Eloisa.
“This is Mama,” she says. “We went on a trip.”
“Aiwplane?” Eloisa asks.
Then Eloisa puts her finger on a baby picture, saying”Tita?” which is what she calls herself, to which her big sister responds “No, you weren’t even in Mommy’s belly yet. That’s baby Ezzy.”
As I tucked my legs up under me I thought about nostalgia. Is it inherited? Is it cultivated? Do our kids love looking at albums and old photographs because I do too?
Nostalgia is defined as a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. My mother and I are both immensely nostalgic; my husband makes fun of me for this all the time.
“You’re lost in old memories again,” he’ll tell me. “Come back to 2021 please.”
We have memory boxes of cards people gave us; we spend time reminiscing about what once was. I pull the blanket over my head and smile. There are worse things.
Slice of Life, Day 30
I love how this snapshot goes from pain to sweetness. Such an interesting question about nostalgia. My husband and I are both very nostalgic people, but neither of us would say all of our siblings are the same way.
Hope you’ve recovered from your second dose.
It’s almost creepy how much we have in common. I, too, am a memory keeper. I make photo books (on Blurb) like this for my kids too. I had to put them in my office for awhile since Isabelle was looking through them so much that the pages were starting to wear!
BTW: I hope you feel better from your vaccination soon.
Hope you are feeling better — but how wonderful they carried on and took care of each other. I too am nostalgic as was my mother. My kids love traditions – as much as they will express loving something in their YA stage. They always make time for, look forward too and enjoy our family and friend traditions.
Sweet Moments! It was unpredictable at the beginning if the second shot was going to rob you of this together, but it seems the aspirin and nap helped…. Glad you are now enjoying the time together.
Oh, how that second shot packs a wallop! Hoping it only lasts the typical 24 hours. And I am overly nostalgic and sentimental, especially over family mementos. I think it’s sweet your children are following suit.
I hope you feel better soon– I’ve already said that– and I love how the kids entertain themselves and each other. Who cares about their hair? It’s vacation! They’re allowed to stay in pajamas and bask in photo albums trying to figure out their place in family history– all good!
I’m exactly 28 days behind! Got my first Moderna today. I think the pandemic is making me even more nostalgic… my phone keeps reminding me of things that happened 2, 3, 4 years ago and it’s bringing back some really fun, forgotten memories.
Seeing your sweet littles perusing photo albums, attempting to name family members, had me in all the feels. My grandparents who raised us were big picture people, and we had a plethora of plastic tubs teeming with photos transcending multiple generations. A few years ago, Nora sifted through them all and made an album for each of us. It’s one of my most treasured possessions. I think nostalgia may be a mixture of inherited traits and lived experience. That second shot was definitely a doozie. Be well, friend.
Nawal, what a great post. I love that picture, and it says it all–passing on the nostalgia to the generations to follow. Wow. I’m glad you took the vaccine. Thank you for supporting public health and taking the risk that you would have an uncomfortable experience. I came here this morning to get the link to your Dear Baba post that inspired my post today. However, not only is there that connection to your Dear Baba, post, there are also moments of nostalgia and vaccinations in today’s post. Tied together with yours today. 🙂