One of the gifts given to my parents this year was finally a contraption that converts VHS tapes to DVD's. My parents have thousands of hours of footage placed on the VHS tapes from birth probably into the elementary school years. Even moreso than pictures, I think videos at different stages of life are probably the most timeless treasures. Becase nothing replaces the real live footage of our dad's parents who have now been gone for years or your grandparent's in their prime who are up and walking around in the grass outside when maybe they havent been without a walker or a wheelchair in years. 

And though admittingly everyone's face has changed as time has passed by quicker and quicker everyday, I was struck by the mere fact that the same personalities of my aunts and uncles on tape are the same personalities I see today (perhaps a small change here or there but mostly the same.) And when you look back at those personalities and traditions that started so many years ago to shape who you are as a person-well-there is simply no replacement for that beautiful feeling of love. 

Essentially those tapes are a recording of love within and between families. You start picturing your own children someday and how you hope to talk to your child in the same way you hear others talk to you in the video footage. Imagine if we could play back time of all of our childhoods and try to pinpoint successful or struggling areas-imagine how playback's in history could be reflected upon and analyzed to move forward in a more positive way. To me, these VHS tapes are probably worth more than 1,000 parenting books placed together with all the songs and the activities and the crafts and the patience and the love. If there was ever a doubt that love wasn't present (which there never was a doubt) these playbacks certainly help one find the timeless meaning of sacrifice and never-ending love to be true. The hope is that here there is family there is also love.