Tag! Earliest Memory

I often think about what my kids will remember from their lives so far. When they were babies, it was always a comfort to me that no matter what kind of mistakes I made while taking care of them, they wouldn't remember it and they would love me regardless. Whether it was taking too long to figure out breastfeeding or just leaving a wet diaper on too long, I could count on them to have no memory of it and not to hold it against me.

Now that they're getting older, I wonder how much they'll one day recall. It's really painful that, unless we remind her, Audrey won't remember Neal's mom, since she was only 2 when she passed away. I wonder if they'll remember anything about the year that we lived in Los Angeles, or how much fun they had at Disneyland all those times. Will they remember their pony rides and Friday night ice cream trips? I think Audrey's getting to the point where she'll remember things that are happening now. She'll likely remember when Miles was born, but will Parker?

I have little snippets of memories from my early childhood. Neal's memory is incredible; he recalls events much better than some of his siblings, despite being the youngest. I really envy that and wish I could concentrate really hard and remember something I'd once forgotten. I'm all about family and personal histories, and although my blog is not nearly that sentimental, I think I should record some things for recording's sake. Anyhow, I thought it would be fun to play another game of tag; let's record our earliest memories, concrete ones, not just things like "I remember my preschool teacher."

My first concrete memory is a traumatic one. I think it is more vivid in my mind because my mom has a picture of Stephanie and me right before this happened. Stephanie was in her high chair. She was probably a little younger than 2, which would make me about 4. She was eating a lollipop and suddenly had some sort of seizure. I remember following my mom out the front door, as she ran over to the neighbor's house, carrying lifeless little Steph in her arms. My dad wasn't home, and I think my mom was looking for help, since Stephanie's state of unconsciousness and her blue face were so scary. She laid Stephanie down in the front hall of our neighbor's house, and I remember being very scared about what would happen to her. Soon the paramedics arrived and treated her. She was fine soon after that, but that moment, standing in the Griffiths' foyer and looking down at Stephanie on the floor: burned into my brain.

How about you? What's your earliest memory?

I'm tagging Charlotte, Rachel, Elliott and Grammy, and Natalie, too.

Painting credit: Pathway 1 by my very talented brother-in-law, Tyler. I hope he doesn't mind me using it. Charlotte, is it okay? :) Looks like a memory painting to me.