Does history repeat itself? Did you grow up thinking, or even saying out loud, “I will never do that/say that”  when I am a parent?”

Yet how many of us have done or said the very thing we said we wouldn’t do or say? I can raise my hand in the affirmative in response to that question.

I always told myself I would NEVER say, “Because I said so” to my children, but I know I said it. When I was at my limit of patience and just didn’t know what else to do, those words did come out of my mouth.

I’m sure there are other things too, but I’ve asked my kids to forgive me for all the mistakes I made as a parent, so I try not to remember those things.

But I do enjoy seeing our grandchildren doing or saying the same things to our children that our children said did or said to us.   It’s just so validating.

The other day our son, Brian, related the story of how his kids had asked for a specific meal, which he fixed for them. They took 2 bites and said then they were full. He reminded them that they asked for it and that they had even said they were “starving!” Their next question: (Who hasn’t heard this?) “How much do I have to eat to get dessert?”   Oh, my goodness Deja Vu.

There are a ton of those stories, but it’s also fun to see history repeating itself in photos.

Not too long ago, Brian took his family to an amusement park. He wanted Owen, his son, to pose with him with some silly statue-ladies, but Owen wasn’t interested and promptly faced the other way, hiding his face.

A few weeks later, I was going through some pictures and found this one. That’s my husband on the left, and Brian, about the same age that Owen is now, with his back to the camera.

Yep, history repeats itself in many ways.

But really, if Owen grows up to be the son that Brian is, history repeating itself will be a very good thing.