Postcards from Mimi

My mom began sending postcards to her grandsons before the first one was even born.  When I was pregnant with Will, she was so excited and decided to start this tradition. She continued throughout the rest of their years together.  They contain volumes of wisdom and I promise to figure out a way to share them with the world at some point.  

The postcards were sometimes from places she travelled and other times, they were just a quick note from wherever she was, letting the boys know she was thinking of them. If not from a specific destination, she tried to pick kid-friendly postcard images to get their attention.

Michael’s third grade class studied world geography. They learned about maps and passports. It just so happened that my mom had been sending postcards from a trip in Europe at this time. Michael only participated in the actual curriculum when it was appropriate for him, so we just did some coloring on the maps.

Then, Michael’s third grade class ‘travelled’ to different countries across the globe by having visitors who could share about those exciting destinations. Here is a photo of Mikey on Italy Day, dressed as a gondolier, enjoying some pasta for lunch. This was a beautiful way to include him in his classroom’s age appropriate activities.

When I look back on the journal entry from ten years ago today, I feel so grateful. I’m thankful that my mom cared so much about the boys and left them this beautiful gift of a whole box full of postcards with her thoughts and her love. I count Michael’s teachers and behavior therapists at school among our family’s greatest blessings as well. Without fail, he was included and allowed to participate in ways that made him feel safe and comfortable. What wonderful memories!