It's in the bag

I totally fret over the little things....it's just what I do.  And this "Culture Bag" activity has been a big weight on my mind.  I wanted to do it just right.  I wanted to be accurate and right on.  Why?  Because that's just me.  That's how I am.  I obsess over everything.

So while I initially thought I would focus on my own values and beliefs that my parents instilled (is that a word?  is it even spelled right?), I decided to focus on my own parenting.  What am I hoping to show Kinley and how will I teach her?  I thought about it for a few days, and finally today, a few hours before having to leave for class....the assignment is complete.  Whew!

My bag contains:  her pajamas, her baptism bonnet, her library card and a bank envelope.

Her pajamas because in our family, "jammie time" is one of the most important times of day.  We make a big deal about her bedtime routine.  We have her bath, lotion time, jammie time, and then family time.  We rock, sing, cuddle.  And then she says her prayers and goes to bed.  Cherished time.  The pajamas represent the value of family. 

Her bonnet represents our faith in God.  We hope to teach her that God is first.

Her first library card because we value education and lifelong learning.

And the bank envelope because we want to teach her the value of a dollar.  We want to teach her that saving is super important and we take her with us and let her hand the money over to put into her savings.  We make a big deal out of that as well.

So there you have it.  I feel such relief.