The gift of writing

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Cute Caroline’s Chronicles

The greatest gift I ever received was a journal, written by my father, documenting my life from the time I was conceived until I was around twenty years old.

It was not a secret that he was writing this, but I never read it until he gave it to me sometime after college.  I laughed, I cried and I remembered things I had long forgotten.  I started reading it one weekend and I could not put it down.  My whole life was chronicled in two large binders, typed on a typewriter and then on a computer.  Sometimes it was written in everyday and sometimes a month or two would go by without an entry, but it kept going for years and years, pages and pages of memories and stories.  Happy moments, life-changing moments and tragic moments all documented for me to have and pass down to my children.

This gift is something that I have cherished from the moment I received it.  My mother passed away from breast cancer when I was twenty years old and often things about her slip from my memory- experiences we shared together, her favorite foods, her hobbies, little things that I can no longer recall quickly, if at all.  That is why I am so very lucky to have this journal! So I can remember more about my time with her, and stories that I can share with my children about their grandmother they will never meet.

Before my daughter Caroline was born in November 2013, my Dad said to me, “Have you thought about keeping a journal of your child’s life, like I did for you?” I had thought about it, but was worried that I wouldn’t have the commitment to it that my Dad had.  The first three months of Caroline’s life were a blur, sleep deprivation was getting the best of me.  However, I decided to make the commitment that my Dad had made for me because I would love to give this gift to my children, and for them to see their lives from my perspective.  I decided instead of writing it on my computer in a Word document for only my eyes to see, I would write it on a blog.  I make entries with pictures (taken mostly by my husband photographer) about twice a month that I share with family members and close friends, so that they can keep up with things we are doing and what Caroline is up to.  I came up with the name Cute Caroline’s Chronicles and decided I would print out a book at the end of each year to give to Caroline so that she may look back on our adventures together anytime she wants.

I hope that someday she will appreciate this gift as much as I have!

 

Written by Kristen Vincent

Kristen HeadshotI moved to Vermont in 2005 to be with my then boyfriend, now husband and get my Masters in Social Work at UVM.   After spending our honeymoon in Telluride, Colorado in 2009, we moved to the little ski town for two and a half years to embark on a new adventure and do something completely different than we had ever done! It was an amazing experience, but in 2012, we decided to move back and start a family in Shelburne. Currently, I am taking a break from the world of social work and staying home with my amazing little girl Caroline!

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