Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Happy Memories... Ding-Dong.  “YEAH!  Auntie’s here! Auntie’s here!” scream my hubby’s niece & nephew in unison. "Let me get the door!” “No, let me!”  They continue shouting as they charge off together, hurdling themselves at the front door, each one’s goal to get there first and open the door for their Auntie. Me!

I can’t get enough of them, of their enthusiasm, their youthful zest for life, their excitement every time I visit!  Their faces aglow, their exuberant welcomes & sincere eagerness (which to be honest is partially due to the Surprise Travel Bag they spy me carrying in).  It’s a tradition I started when they were all young.  I bring a large bag filled with toys, games, coloring books & crayons, paper and magic markers, candy, books and more.

The contents vary but the rules don’t. They include: each gets a turn picking what activity we will ALL do, each takes a turn going first when we play a game, everyone must share and be respectful of each other, no hitting, kicking, fighting or cheating, they share treats AFTER they ask their parent’s permission,  cleaning up after we play is a must and lastly, and most importantly,  the Surprise Travel Bag arrives & leaves with their Auntie. (This is one of my secrets of successfully entertaining them & preventing boredom each visit).

My niece & nephew love the attention I lavish on them. We pick a location in a different room to keep the noise down and let the adults catch up.  I make sure I spend quality time with the adults too, each visit. The parents love when I arrive. They can relax now & enjoy themselves, knowing that their kids are safe with me. I took the Surprise Travel Bag when visiting my Bro's family too and also keep it handy for visits to my home or for my friend’s kids when they visit. 

Now my nieces and nephews have all grown into young adults. They spend most of their visits listening to their iPods, texting on their phones, watching DVD’s…so much technology!  I completely  forgot that I had stashed my two Surprise Travel Bags in the basement until my hubby found them during a cleaning spree this weekend. Oh, boy, did those precious memories come flooding back! 

A wistful sigh escapes from me & I clutch those bags tightly in my arms, remembering our laughter and fun-filled holiday get-togethers.  My big decision now is how to gift the Special Travel Bags to them or pass the bags along to another friend with children so that the fun times these bags help to create continue.