I was three years old and I was in a hospital. This is the earliest memory that I can be sure of that it’s real, and not something I’ve been told. It was a children’s ward and I was shy. The older girls seemed intimidating to me. I even remember the name of a radio programme they were looking forward to in the evenings. This was some time 1958. At some point, I fell on the floor, and the nurse put a cold spatula or some such on my forehead. My Mum was dressed in black when she came to pick me up. Back then, widows wore black for a whole year. The veil was thrown back after the funeral, that was the custom then.
This is the earliest, clear memory. I have others too, but there I can’t be sure — I think I can remember sitting on my father’s lap … it’s like I remember where certain pieces of furniture were placed in the room, but again … it seems unlikely and is probably just some kind of wishful thinking.
This short post was triggered by the WP Daily Post.
colderweather2011 
Why were you there? Intriguing.
oh, it was just some minor surgery…
3 years old!!!! Best I am sure of is 7.
that hospital stay must have made a real impression on me!
My earliest is the first house we lived in. Not really a house. There was a wardrobe. Do not see them here often but I saw them in Sweden. A piece of furniture. I was in diapers. Dad and I were playing and I would hide in it. I have few memories of my childhood. No memories of either grandmother. Sad. I think i have one of my mormor. We were not moving or talking, more like a snapshot. And there is no photo like that.
Widows here also used to dress in black. No longer. i have seen people in old jeans at funerals and such now. Many here do not care how they look or if they are appropriate. It is sad. Not only no respect for others, but no respect for self.
my grandparent were dead before I was born so … no chance of remembering them. One funeral back home, a few years before I left, my cousin, who is 80+ showed up in a skirt with big flowers on it and sneakers!!! My uncle … may he rest in peace …. who was 89 at the time and ‘old school’ almost fainted. This, however, wasn’t because she was disrespectful but rather demented… it looked funny though 🙂
That’s a very early memory Rebekah, obviously a memorable one – the radio station, the older girls in the hospital, your mother dressed in black. Some things stick in our memory for life.
yes Barb … that really stuck, because after that I can’t say I remember *anything *until I was 7. Amazing..
All memories are precious. Your poor mother, I bet she was worried with no-one to share the load.
I’m sure that must have been really tough, but it took me a long time to realize that.
Hi Rebekah,
What a fantastic memory, I think my earliest memory was when I was 8 and I broke my ankle. Earlier than that the memories come from pictures.
Mags, It seems that it had to be something like that … me in hospital, you broke your ankle … to stick in our memories! 🙂