Symbols

Posted on June 15, 2015

My son (now 24) still has his very first vinyl football–from when he was 3! It’s not something I had to save in a treasure box for him. It’s something that has moved with him, in and out of his living spaces–home, dorm rooms, apartment, back home.

To him, it’s a symbol. A toy that started out as a $3 item bought at a car wash has grown with him, becoming a symbol of many emotions and experiences–fun, strength, comfort, familiarity, competition and even leadership from his high school quarterback days. (I wouldn’t be surprised if he gifts it to his kids, in a glass box, signed and sealed–as a family heirloom.)

Symbols are living mirrors of our children’s best feelings. They whisper strength and comfort; they nurture memories, filling gaps, reaching deep when and where words can’t.