As we grow up, we eventually learn that childhood mementos can carry more weight than they seem to on the surface. They bring us back to times of happiness, comfort and the people who made us feel safe and loved. 

With our society constantly changing its pace, these items let us feel grounded. Our childhood memories can be reminders of the values that shaped us. For many of us, they give a glimpse of a much simpler and happier time.

For Tualatin High School senior Sydney McDonald, her memories of childhood come contained in a glass globe. 

“When I think about a childhood memento, I think of the sand snow globe that my dad got me,” McDonald said. “Every time he returned from a trip, he’d bring me something small. It was like our thing.” 

The snow globe, though small and simple, became her support system while her dad was away and her motivation to get into her dream school: the sand-surrounded Arizona State University. But the globe shattered one day, and McDonald felt as if she’d lost her connection to that cherished memory. 

“I thought it was gone forever, like it was a sign that my dream to go to ASU wouldn’t come true,” she said. “But it gave me reassurance in my current college application process.” 

Even when broken, however,  this memory lingers. This treasured item brings her comfort looking towards her future and, simultaneously, back at her past. 

Jayden Huynh, another Tualatin High School senior, has a softer piece from his youth: a stuffed animal shark. Given to him by his older sister, this shark became his loyal best friend. On random adventures, in long car rides and trips to the bathroom, this stuffed shark brought him security in his daily living.

“I sniffed it all the time for some reason,” he laughed, describing his attachment to the shark. Huynh kept it until the pandemic, which was a time of loneliness and stress for many. “It really just helped me sleep at night,” he said.

Reflecting on the memories from your past can turn some miscellaneous items into symbols of peace and love. Whether it’s a sand-filled snow globe, a stuffed animal shark or another heartfelt object, childhood mementos remind us of who we are and where we come from. Ultimately, childhood is not something we should grow out of, but rather something we carry forward into our futures.