Old Times

The Army practises its version of BCP (Business Continuity Plan) too. They call it OR (Operational Readiness). Since The Son cannot army in camp, he has decided to army at home. All of today, he has gone into a frenzy of cleaning up and organising his room. He is changing his room into the home version of the army barracks.

There is much good to be said about this National Service business! I remember lamenting to The Husband about NS, and throwing a hissy fit whilst suggesting that all of us uproot to Canada so that The Son need not risk life and limb in NS. The Husband stared at me a long while, and then walked off. I think he found my views too idiotic to respond to.

Still, in the midst of his huge clean up, where he threw out a few plastic medals and trophies, he came to me holding reverently in his hands, 4 tattered exercise books. They were his primary school journals. We read them and good memories flooded back of his childhood. We re-lived moments of tenderness and marvelled at how his childish thought processes worked.

Then, The Daughter brought out her Message Book. This was a book I started with her to get her to write out her thoughts. We also read some bits of this book. The Daughter too keeps this book carefully, like a treasure.

If you have primary school children, it is a good idea to get them to journal or to start a Message Book. After they grow up, you will find these books a repository of beautiful memories.