My grown-up son was going through his childhood toys one day when he was cleaning his room. He wanted to have more space for his school things now that it appears his dorm days will not be back just yet because of the pandemic. I detected a sense of melancholy as I watched him. Not sure though if it is coming from me or him. So do we keep his toys or not?

Keep the Toys that...

1. Have specific sentimental value

Be selective as it will be very difficult to choose. Let's face it, every piece has its sentimental value. You have to choose or else you will end up keeping everything.

2. You like to pass on the next generation

There are toys that can be passed on like family heirlooms. Make sure that its condition and make can last through time. Otherwise, it might be a good idea to have another child play with it today unless of course you have abilities to preserve it and good reason to keep it.

3. Younger kids in the family can play with now

Consider if you have younger kids who can play with the toys. In this case, it will just be a question of transferring the toys to another room. 

My Say

You may have other reasons to keep your kids' toys and that's fine. The memories they represent are yours. That said, if you feel you can give them to other children who can still enjoy them, do so. Memories will remain with you and you will be happy knowing other kids are enjoying them like your kids used to. 

If there was one carnival ride that I can call my favorite during my childhood days, it would be the swing ride. The swing ride or the chair swing ride also goes by the name swing carousel since it is actually a variation of the carousel. Most rotating tops also tilt to provide variation of motion. What I remember most about this ride is the sensation of being sent higher and higher while securely latched on a chair as it goes faster and faster. High up there, I weaved countless childhood dreams specifically during school fairs.

Image Source: flickr/matthew_pierce

A Long Time Ago

During my childhood days, I was an avowed carnival ride fanatic. In our annual school fairs, you can bet that as the sun shall rise, so will I be there lining up. If the fair will be for three days, that would be the same number of days I will be lining up to take my rides.

The allowance I get for the day will be used for ride tickets, even sometimes to the point of sacrificing food. I will then wait for my father to fetch me and buy me food, often perplexed why I seem so hungry. I never admitted I used most of my money for rides. He never asked...probably he knew. I stopped taking carnival rides when obligation and responsibilities came in and that was a long, long time ago.

She Won't Ride Without Me

I never really had much reason to start riding again. My two older children rode carnival rides on their own or with their friends. My youngest child was different. She has been scared of these rides and have spent the last couple of years safely in the school playground while her brother have the time of his life riding during school fairs.

This year was different. She wanted to ride but she won't do it without me. I was aghast with the idea. I was afraid I'd be nauseous or suffer a vertigo-like attack. It has been quite some time since I last rode and I am not the young girl I used to be. She prevailed on me and so the rest is history.




Childhood Memories in a Carnival Swing Ride

And so it happened that I rode all the rides and was doing fairly well until we came to the swing ride. When I sat on the chair, I felt like a child again. As the chair was raised higher and higher, I remembered the childhood plans I made a long time ago in the same scenario. Then I felt a small ache in my heart in knowing that my father will not be here this time around after I finish my rides.

The ache was masked with joy when I saw my daughter beside me, enjoying the ride as well. I don't know if she was weaving dreams of her own up there or was she wondering if I was that scared for me to be obviously teary-eyed. I must have gotten her a bit confused with my laughter and smarting eyes.

My Say

Memories come even in the most unexpected times. They may be triggered by  people, places, events, objects, and even a familiar scent. They may be welcome or unwelcome depending on the emotion it brings.

That said, I thank my daughter for making me remember how it feels to be young and carefree. I cannot help but smile when she asked me "Doesn't it feel good to feel like a child again, Mama?" I said, "Yes, it does, my child, yes, it does."